Back in October at Orgatec 2012 Vitra unveiled Workbay, the new concept from Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

The latest stage in the brother’s career-long “room within a room” research Workbay is a flexible system based around fleece walls and aluminium supports that resembles a cross between the Alcove Sofa and the Bouroullec’s Communal Cells from Orgatec 2010.

When we saw Workbay in Cologne we thought,  nice idea, nice extension of the Bouroullec programme… and went back to concentrating on their Cork Desk.

In Milan, Vitra and the Bouroullec’s unveiled the full majesty of Workbay.

In an installation specially created for the Salone Ufficio section of Salone Milano, Ronan and Ewran Bouroullec presented Workbay Office: a visualisation of how Workbay can be integrated into an office to create a series of separate areas based around the basic Workbay structure enhanced with very simple add-ons.

Sofas. Shelving. Desks. Storage units. Sinks.

And because the Workbay system can be constructed to practically any length, circumference, diameter or indeed form, it can be integrated as and when required into any office of any size. And then rebuilt as situations dictate.

As such for us Workbay not only offers a completely new approach to office furniture, but as a system offers architects and interior designers a new freedom when designing new office spaces.

And we thought Workbay was just a flexible fleece and aluminum wall!

For us one of the highlights of Saloni Milano 2013 was/is Italian manufacturer Mattiazzi.

And not just because they have managed to eke a chair out of Jasper Morrison that, in our opinion, is one of his better, and certainly more interesting, of recent years.

Milan Design Week 2013: Mattiazzi

Established in 1978 Mattiazzi is, if we correctly understand, essentially a network of woodworking facilities in Udine. For three decades the company served as a supplier of wooden parts for other furniture manufacturers before deciding in 2008 to invest in their own brand.

The investment has obviously been very heavy, or better put, very, very heavy.

But has also been very successful.

Mattiazzi first reached an international audience with the 2011 Osso Collection from Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

The positive echo generated by Osso was not just on account of the media friendly connection with the Bouroullec brand, but because, simply put, it is a mighty fine piece of work.

As a project Osso allowed Ronan and Erwan to seriously develop a new dimension to their work, a challenge they met head on and with a result that demonstrates a wonderful degree of technical finesse and aesthetic clarity.

Since the launch of Osso in 2011 the Mattiazzi portfolio has grown steadily and in Milan the company presented the latest results of co-operations with with Sam Hecht, Konstantin Grcic and the aforementioned Fionda by Jasper Morrison.

Effectively a wooden frame with an interchangeable fabric sling, it is really hard to call Fionda a chair, at least in the classical sense.

Apparently inspired by a folding camping chair Morrison bought in Japan, Fionda doesn’t do anything that much different from either “regular” camping chairs or design classics such as the globally copied Butterfly / Hardoy Chair.

Fionda however presents the concept with a rarely seen lightness and assured calm. And as we say with a liveliness that we have missed in much of Morrison’s recent chair work.

In addition, by removing the canvas sling the frames can be easily stacked, thus making Fionda a fairly straightforward outdoor seating option for cafes, ice cream bars and their ilk.

Milan Design Week 2013: Fionda by Jasper Morrison for Mattiazzi

Equally impressive is Medici by Konstantin Grcic. Originally presented at Milan 2012 Medici is a lounge chair that takes all Konstantin Grcic‘s association with reduced down, unassuming, form languages, picks it up by the scruff of the neck and throws it out the  window.

Yes Medici is a very simple wood construction, a very simple wood construction in many ways reminiscent of the Rood-Blauwe Stoel by Gerrit T. Rietveld.

But it’s not an object you’d want to meet in a dark alley late on a Saturday night.

Much like Waver for Vitra, Medici is not something we know from Grcic. And while the motivation with Waver was largely to define the Vitra outdoor range with a form language far removed from the classic Eames dominated interior furniture; at Mattiazzi Konstantin Grcic had a clean slate. Which means the design comes from somewhere deeper. And indeed reading his comments on Medici you sense the real personal joy he got from developing the project.

Milan Design Week 2013 Mattiazzi Medici Konstantin Grcic

Ultimately what attracts us to Mattiazzi is the effortless simplicity of their furniture.

You currently can’t move in the European furniture market without bumping into a manufacturer with a new wood chair.
A lot of them very similar. Very generic. Very dull. And very “Scandinavian”

Developments in the furniture industry clearly mirroring those in the TV crime drama world where every station needs a moody Scandinavian detective in a quirky knitted jumper.

And indeed one young designer we spoke to in Milan was quite open that their current works are largely geared towards such a market. And you can’t blame them for that.

What however for us sets Mattiazzi apart is that they obviously care not only about the physical appearance but also the function, the origin, the craftsmanship and the attitude of the piece.

Older readers will associate such with the concept of “character”, an archaic term that is so outdated the Oxford English Dictionary are planning removing it from their next edition.

Mattiazzi obviously still have an old edition at home.

It will be interesting to see how the Mattiazzi brand develops in the coming years. If the investments made can bring a return.

Excellent and interesting as the current collection is, it isn’t necessarily a collection that is guaranteed to guarantee long term financial sustainability. The fact that they have secured Herman Miller as their North American distribution partner is no bad thing. Similarly the agreement with Aram in the UK.  But again these developments alone are no guarantee of sustainable success.

That comes from a product portfolio that is successful across various market sectors and that can keep reaching and exciting new buyers.

And that takes time.

We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the situation.
And will of course keep you informed.

Milan Design Week 2013: The Mattiazzi Collection

Milan Design Week 2013: The Mattiazzi Collection

As already said, we sadly won’t make it to Stockholm Furniture Fair and Design Week this year.

However, we still wanted to bring you a bit of Scandinavian design flair.

Albeit Scandinavian design flair with a very strong Breton accent.

Back at Orgatec 2012 one of the more surprising new product series on show was the so-called “A-Collection” by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for HAY.

A truly delightful family of simple wooden objects, the collection principally surprised us because we had never imagined that the Bouroullecs and HAY would cooperate together – which shows how much we know.

At Orgatec 2012 we spoke with Erwan Bouroullec about the cooperation with HAY, recurring themes in the brothers work …. and why L’Oiseau. No, Why!

Until now time hasn’t allowed us to bring you our conversation: Stockholm Furniture Fair provides the perfect excuse to find the time…..

(smow)blog: If we’re honest we’re quite surprised to see a cooperation between yourselves and HAY. What is the background to the cooperation?

Erwan Bouroullec: The real start of the cooperation was a new furniture collection for Copenhagen University. The Humanities Department was being renovated and as part of that process they wanted new furniture that “re-humanised” the buildings. They had researched that students weren’t spending that much time at the university, rather they were coming to classes and then going back home. And so the university wanted to create an environment that encouraged students to spend more time in the university.  Some of our designs were selected but for various reasons they couln’t be applied – either from a price perspective, or because certain elements such as stackability were missing – and so when HAY approached us it was a natural step for us to develop something new.

(smow)blog: And this decision for wood, is that part of this “re-humanising” idea?

Erwan Bouroullec: We wanted to create something nice and simple; we weren’t really interested in looking for new concept. Denmark and the Nordic countries in general have a long history with and intrinsic knowledge about wood and so for us it was clear from early on that we would use wood.

(smow)blog: When we look at the A-Collection for HAY and the Osso family for Mattiazzi we see certain similarities. Is there a common heritage, or how do you see the connection…

Erwan Bouroullec: In our work we tend to keep everything to a minimum and so, for example, try not to use too much material or try to find clever ways of manufacturing and assembling objects, and on the other hand we always look for a little bit of magic, something extraordinary. And so there are naturally recurring elements and similarities, and, for example, in most of our works you can see all the individual elements of an object. One sees that in the A-Collection and in Osso but also, for example, the Steelwood collection for Magis and even the Alcove Sofa.

(smow)blog: And to end something we’ve always wanted to ask, L’Oiseau for Vitra. Why?

Erwan Bouroullec: It’s similar to the decision to show our drawings. We draw every day, we develop ideas every day and its important to sometimes let a little bit of this freedom escape. We draw a lot of birds, a lot of characters in general, and with Vitra we had the opportunity to release L’Oiseau and it seemed like a natural and obvious thing to do.

A-Collection by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for HAY (and Copenhagen University). Here at IMM Cologne 2013

A-Collection by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for HAY (and Copenhagen University). Here at IMM Cologne 2013

The chair.... (here at Orgatec 2012)

...and the desk (here at Orgatec 2012)

It being January, IMM Cologne once again provided the backdrop for the presentation of the A&W Designer of the Year Award. Following on from Tokujin Yoshioka in 2011 and Patrica Urquiola in 2012 the 2013 accolade went to everyone’s favourite Bretons Ronan And Erwan Bouroullec

In addition to the undoubted kudos of winning, as part of the award the Brothers Bouroullec are also being honoured in an exhibition at the Kölnischer Kunstverein.

Featuring an overview of their more recent works the exhibition can’t be called a retrospective, for that it is too small, too incomplete; however, it does provide a nice opportunity to compare their work for companies as varied as Vitra, Magis, Kvadrat or Lignet Roset and so examine their approach to and recurring motifs in their work.

For our part we spent most of our time cursing the exhibition design concept that saw the straight lines interrupted with curtains; thus making it impossible to get any sort of decent long, all-encompassing, shot.
Only in conversation with Erwan Bouroullec did we discover the troublesome textiles were in fact their latest product for Kvadrat – an off the peg and ready to hang curtain system.

They were still in the way. But at least we knew why!

We decided to spare the brothers the trauma of another interview with us, they’ve suffered enough over the years, but here a few impressions from the exhibition

If you happen to be in Cologne the exhibition can be viewed until Sunday January 20th at the Kölnischer Kunstverein, Hahnenstr.6, 50667 Köln

Finn Juhl

For all in our near Copenhagen, and who aren’t planning travelling to Weil am Rhein in the coming months, the Designmuseum Danmark is also currently offering the chance to view an exhibition that highlights the role of art in the design process.

But featuring works from Finn Juhl. Not Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

One of the most important, if not so universally well known, Danish furniture architects of the mid 20th century Finn Juhl would have celebrated his 100th bithday in 2012.

And as part of their celebrations honouring the man and his work, the Designmuseum Danmark is hosting a specially curated exhibition.

In addition to showing examples of furniture – examples visitors are actively encouraged to touch, sit on and explore – the museum is displaying a collection of restored Finn Juhl watercolours.

Although – as with all great mid-20th century furniture designers – Finn Juhl trained as an architect; as a young man he had planned to follow a more academic career as an art historian. And in his watercolours and sketches one can clearly see the strong artistic foundation on which his understanding of design, form and aesthetics stood.

Which of course is a nice link to Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

Indeed, and at the risk of infuriating design critics the length and breadth of Europe, in Finn Juhl’s naturally, organic flowing form language and seamless integration of stability with artistry, one can see clear parallels to, at least part of, the Bouroullec’s oeuvre.

We’re thinking here especially of works such as the Slow Chair for Vitra, Steelwood for Magis or Facett for Ligne Roset.

We’ve not visited the exhibition in Copenhagen and so can’t comment on it. However we are huge fans of Finn Juhl’s work and are generally of the opinion any exhibition dedicated to him is worth exploring.

The exhibition “Furniture for the Senses – Finn Juhl 100″ at the Designmuseum Danmark runs until the December 31st 2012.

In addition to the exhibition the museum is also organising a wider programme of events to celebrate the anniversary, many staged in collaboration with the museum Ordrupgaard in whose grounds Finn Juhl’s house stands.

Further details can be found at: http://designmuseum.dk

Furniture for the Senses - Finn Juhl 100. A watercolour of the Model 45 armchair (Photo: Pernille Klemp)

Furniture for the Senses - Finn Juhl 100. A watercolour showing Finn Huhl's furniture in an interior design project (Photo: Pernille Klemp)

Ronan Bouroullec

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec are without question two of the most important designers of their generation and are currently being honoured in two shows. The retrospective “Bivouac” currently on show at the Centre Pompidou Metz, and Album, an exhibition of their drawings and sketches that premiered in Bordeaux and is now on show at the Vitra Design Museum Gallery, Weil am Rhein,

At the opening of “Album” at the Vitra Design Museum Gallery we spoke to Ronan Bouroullec about drawing, getting older, and – once again – how he wants to accept less commissions…

(smow)blog: The obvious first question, do all your projects start with drawings ?

Ronan Bouroullec: No, not always. Some start just by thinking in very abstract ways. It has however changed a lot over the years. For my part, I participated in my first collective exhibition when I was 17. I am now 40. And so obviously my methods and my understanding of design have changed a lot over the last 20 years, I was very naive at the beginning.

(smow)blog: And did you also draw more in your early years? Does modern technology play a bigger role today?

Ronan Bouroullec: Drawing is something I have always done, longer than design and is something very important to me. If I stop designing I won’t die. But I can’t stop drawing. And I think in design drawing brings in a good balance. Design is a very long process, a very frustrating process. It can take years from the first drawing until the finished work and so it is important for us to be able to express ourselves in a clear, concise way through pictures and through drawing.

(smow)blog: Does that mean through the drawing you can better control the design process?

Ronan Bouroullec: The process in our studio, and in our minds is very chaotic. It doesn’t follow straight lines. And also each product has its own organic flow. And so its very difficult to describe it. Because we are so chaotic. Which of course is something that is never expressed in the results of our work which always seem so clear, simple and direct. But to arrive at this is a very, very chaotic process.

(smow)blog: In addition to Album, there is currently also the retrospective “Bivouac” showing in Metz. Viewing these two exhibitions can you see how and where your work has changed over the years ?

Ronan Bouroullec: I think at the beginning we were more optimistic and naive, but now we know a bit more about the whole system which is good, but that can also be limiting and can create imaginary walls. Projects actually take longer now than 20 years ago. When we were younger we were more intuitive…

(smow)blog: … and now you’re more careful, or… ?

Ronan Bouroullec: I’m not sure exactly why, but obviously there is more pressure on us, people are looking more closely, expecting things from us. Expecting a statement.

(smow)blog: Album and Bivouac are obviously chances to look back and reflect; looking to the future….

Ronan Bouroullec: I don’t feel the necessity to do so much now. We have a very small studio and I don’t really want it to expand, we never wanted to have a large studio. But because we are so well known we receive a lot of proposals. But I’m not really interested in doing everything that is offered, but instead try to concentrate on those that interest us. And to try to find some time to draw.

Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec “Album” can be viewed at the Vitra Design Museum Gallery until June 3rd 2012

Vitra Design Museum Gallery: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec "Album"

Vitra Design Museum Gallery: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec "Album"

Having got up in the middle of the night to travel through the depths of the European winter just to get to Weil am Rhein for the “Album” opening, you can imagine our joy when we heard that Erwan Bouroullec had frozen to his core while waiting to board the 6.15 Basel bound TGV.

Not because we’re cruel, heartless beasts who take pleasure in the suffering of others. At least not on this occasion.

But because it is one of these nice reminders of how “normal” the design world is and designers are.

A personal insight into the banal everyday reality that is a designers lot.

Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec in discussion with Vitra Design Museum Chief Curator Mateo Kries

Featuring over 300 of the brother’s sketches, complimented by models, photographs and artifacts from the design process, “Album” isn’t a retrospective of the Bouroullec’s work. Nor is it an exploration of their place in European design history. But rather is a simple discussion about where design comes from and the process that leads to design products. Not from the cold, sober, considered “Gare de Lyon, 6am” business perspective from which we are used to seeing the Bouroullec’s work presented; but from the emotional, uncertain, “Got up far too early, left my family, why don’t we have fur??!!” human perspective from which we are not.

A personal insight into the banal everyday reality that is a designers lot.

Album does of course feature images of and references to many of their famous works, but also naive, abstract forms, projects that never got further than the sketchbook and child-like drawings that tend to reinforce that a chair is just four legs, a seat and a back-rest. In addition there are a few cuddly yet thoughtful looking fantasy creatures that suggest should the design contracts ever dry up, a glorious second career as kids books illustrators awaits.

Although unmistakably about Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Album is also a documentation of the essentially analogue nature of design. Computers and digital technology can help, can speed things up and aid the industry side of design.

But if you can’t visualise what you want and express that in a few simple lines then the chances of ever realising the project are slim.

In recent weeks we’ve focused quite a lot on “furniture architects”. One could argue that architects are suited to furniture design because they understand static and scale, can make things work. The Bouroullec’s background is classical art. And in Album one understands that what they may lack in technical training they more than make up for in an emotional connection to their work and understanding of visual composition.

Which of course brings us back to what Patricia Urquiola meant with her opinion that architects don’t necessarily make the best furniture.

Vitra Design Museum Gallery: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec "Album"

Having recently seen their work presented in spaces of 700 sqm and 1000 sqm; the foot and half they’ve got in the Vitra Design Museum Gallery is a bit like having U2 play in your kitchen: what it lacks in spatial scale is more than compensated by intensity.

You cannot escape the works. Cannot escape the connections and the randomness. Cannot escape being drawn in.

Album itself probably isn’t worth the trip to Weil to Rhein. But it, and indeed the Vitra Design Museum Gallery, aren’t intended as being big crowd pullers in their own right. Rather as an extension and consolidation of the existing Vitra Campus. And certainly as an additional attraction when visiting VitraHaus and/or Design Museum, Album is well worth exploring and getting to know.

Personally.

Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec “Album” runs at the Vitra Design Museum Gallery until June 6th

Vitra Design Museum Gallery: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec "Album"

Vitra Design Museum Gallery: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec "Album"

Vitra Design Museum Gallery: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec "Album"

Tilbage i februar fejrede VitraHaus i Weil am Rhein sin første fødselsdag. Vi talte med Vitras chefdesigner Eckart Maise om VitraHaus og om planerne for fremtiden.

(smow)blog: VitraHaus er nu ét år gammelt, er du tilfreds med det første år?

Eckart Maise: Ja, VitraHaus har været en stor succes og ‘resonansen’ har været meget positiv, både med hensyn til antallet af besøgende samt den feedback vi har fået. Eksempelvis er besøgstallene for ‘Vitra Campus’ nu tredoblet i forhold til tiden før VitraHaus. Vi havde over 350.000 besøgende sidste år, hvilket bestemt overgik vores forventninger. Vi havde forventet et stigende besøgstal, men ikke i så høj grad.

(smow)blog: Er opmærksomheden omkring brandet Vitra ligeledes steget?

Eckart Maise: Ja, helt sikkert. Man kan eksempelvis måle det i form af antallet af artikler om VitraHaus i pressen. Jeg har været hos Vitra i 16 år, VitraHaus er den første nye bygning på Vitra Campus i lang tid, og man kan tydeligt se at pressedækningen er af helt andre dimensioner end når der f.eks. lanceres et nyt produkt.

(smow)blog: I hvor høj grad er Vitra-møbeldesignerne involveret i indretningen af selve VitraHaus?

Eckart Maise: Først og fremmest er det indvendige design organiseret af vores in-house team som består af flere designere og stylister. Indimellem er møbeldesignerne involveret hvis der er fokus på et bestemt produkt. Lige for tiden er Suita-sofaen udstillet, og i den forbindelse talte vi på forhånd med Antonio Citterio, lyttede til hans feedback og optimerede derefter et par forskellige områder. Mange af møbeldesignerne er i regelmæssigt kontakt med vores in-house indretningsarkitekter, og der foregår altid en udveksling af idéer.

VitraHaus Weil am Rhein

(smow)blog: Man lægger straks mærke til at der i VitraHaus også findes produkter fra, lad os sige, ikke-Vitra designere. Et eksempel på dette, som altid fanger vores opmærksomhed er Spin fra Tom Dixon …

Eckart Maise: .. Ja, det er et bevidst træk fra vores side. For os er ‘collagen’ den indretningsstrategi, som bedst passer til vores måde at tænke på. Det vil sige, at variationen af interiøret bliver en kvalitet i sig selv – også variationen i de enkelte ‘værkers’ oprindelse, og at rent Vitra interiør ikke nødvendigvis er det bedste. Derfor har vi her i VitraHaus netop tilbehør, belysning og tekstiler fra andre producenter, som komplimenterer Vitraprodukterne.

(smow)blog: Og så kan vi også forvente at forskellige designere i fremtiden vil få lov til at skabe egne rum i enkelte dele af VitraHaus?

Eckart Maise: Ja, vi er netop ved at planlægge dette, og det var faktisk planlagt helt fra starten, men ikke realiseret før nu. Vi ønsker ikke at være et museum, hvor der eksempelvis vises en udstilling af Bouroullec eller en udstilling af Citterio, men naturligvis er der mulighed for at bede de designere som aktivt er involveret i husets interiør, eksempelvis de to Bouroullec-brødre, om at skabe et rum på den betingelse, at det ikke skal være en monografi over deres værker, men i stedet en collage som også indeholder produkter fra andre Vitradesignere.

smow(blog): Så, eksempelvis, ‘her er et bud på hvordan man kunne indrette en hems på 20 kvadratmeter’?

Eckart Maise: … præcis. Der er flere forskellige muligheder, og vi håber at kunne begynde i de kommende måneder.

smow(blog): En yderlige udvidelse af Vitra Campus er Vitra Atelier. I øjeblikket kan man se, hvordan en Eames Lounge Chair er konstrueret, har du tænkt dig at udvide konceptet?

Eckart Maise: I princippet er det et fleksibelt koncept, men i øjeblikket vil det være begrænset til Eames’ Lounge Chair. Det vigtige for os, er at kunderne kan se det håndværk der er involveret i produktionen, og at det er lavet her i Weil am Rhein, og ikke i Kina eller andre steder for den sags skyld. Kunderne har også mulighed for at se, hvordan deres egen Lounge Chair er opbygget. De kan for eksempel komme til VitraHaus om morgenen, se hvordan den konstrueres, og tage den med hjem om eftermiddagen. Denne stol er formentlig et af de møbler som ejerne har den mest følelsesmæssige forbindelse til, og som spiller en central rolle i disses hjem, og netop derfor er det for os den perfekte genstand for Vitra Atelier.

Vitra Atelier - Vitra Campus Weil am Rhein

Back in February the VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein celebrated its first birthday.

But was it all worth it?

To find out more we spoke to Vitra Chief Design Officer Eckart Maise about one year VitraHaus and the plans for the future.

(smow)blog: The VitraHaus is now one year old, are you satisfied with the first year?

Eckart Maise: Yes, the VitraHaus has been a huge success and the resonance has been very positive both in respect of the number of visitors as well as the feedback. The Vitra Campus visitor numbers, for example, have tripled in comparison to before the opening of the VitraHaus. We had over 350,000 visitors last year which vastly exceeded our expectations. We had expected an increase but not such an increase.

(smow)blog: And has awareness of the Vitra brand also increased?

Eckart Maise: Yes, definitely. One can measure it, for example, in terms of the number of press articles about the VitraHaus. I’ve been with Vitra for 16 years and the VitraHaus is the first new building on the Vitra Campus in that time, and one sees that the press coverage is of a completely different dimension than that when launching a new product.

(smow)blog: Turning to the VitraHaus itself, in how far are the Vitra furniture designers involved in the interior design decisions?

Eckart Maise: Principally the interior design is organised by our in-house team of designers and stylists. Occasionally the furniture designers are involved where there is a product focus. For example at the moment the Suita sofa display. We discussed that with Antonio Citterio in advance, gathered his feedback and then optimised a few points. But also many of the designers are in regular contact with our in-house interior designers and so there is always an exchange of ideas.

(smow)blog: One notices in the VitraHaus that there are various products from, let’s say, non-Vitra designers. The example that always catches our attention is Spin from Tom Dixon…

Eckart Maise: …yes that’s a deliberate feature from us. For us the Collage is the domestic furnishing strategy that best correlates to our way of thinking. That is to say the quality of an interior comes from variety, also variety in the origins of the individual pieces, and that a pure “Vitra interior” isn’t necessarily the best. And so here in the VitraHaus we have lighting, accessories, textiles etc from other producers that compliment the Vitra products.

(smow)blog: And so can also we expect that in the future part of the VitraHaus will be given over to individual designers to create a space?

Eckart Maise: Yes, Yes, we are planning such and that was indeed planned from the very beginning, but until now not realised. What we don’t want to be is a museum where we say here is a Bouroullec exhibition, or here is a Citterio exhibition. But naturally one can ask those designers who are actively involved with interiors, for example the Bouroullecs, to create a space with the condition that it shouldn’t be a monograph of their work but rather a collage with products from other Vitra designers.

(smow)blog: So, for example, here is an example of how you could organise a 20 sqm loft space…

Eckart Maise:.. exactly. There are various options and we hope to start in the coming months.

(smow)blog: A further extension of the Vitra Campus is the Vitra Atelier. At the moment one can watch how an Eames Lounge Chair is constructed, do you plan to extend the concept?

Eckart Maise: In principle it is a flexible concept, but at the moment it will remain limited to the Lounge Chair. What’s important for us is that customers can see the handcraft involved in the product and that they are made here in Weil am Rhein and not in China or wherever. Also customers have the option to watch how their own Lounge Chair is constructed. They can for example come to the VitraHaus in the morning, place and order, watch how it is constructed and then take it home in the afternoon. The Eames Lounge Chair is probably one of those furniture objects to which owners have the most emotional connection, and which plays a central role in the owners home, and so for us it is the perfect object for the Vitra Atelier.

Since over one year part of the Weil am Rhein landscape - VitraHaus

Vitra Atelier - Eames Lounge Chair construction LIVE!

At the 2011 Milan Furniture Fair Vitra are presenting a range of new products from designers including Konstantin Grcic, Antonio Citterio and Barber & Osgerby. Ahead of the official launch we caught up with Vitra Chief Design Officer Eckart Maise to discuss the new products and the Vitra Home Collection in general.

Jill by Alfredo Häberli for Vitra

(smow): Herr Maise, before we discuss the new products, and maybe as a little helpful background. How does a company like Vitra develop a collection? Do you go to a designer and say “There’s a gap in our collection, can you fill it?” Or how do new projects develop at Vitra?
Eckart Maise: In essence it all comes together as a consequence of our long-term relationship with the designers. With, for example, Antonio Citterio we’ve been working together for 25 years. Or with the Bouroullecs we’ve now been co-operating for 12 or 13 years. And although there are obviously phases where more happens and phases where less happens we are always in contact with one another. And so most projects arise from a concrete briefing from us that such or such a project would be good, for example a large sofa family or a lounge chair, and then we consider who would be the correct designer. And often we speak to several designers about the same project, and then see who reacts in which way and where what develops. The designers obviously all have their own agenda, have their own mission as it were, and so we need to find projects where there is an overlapping of interests, because that is the best conditions for a successful cooperation. It hardly ever occurs that a designer comes to us and says “So here’s a finished project, do you want it?” It’s always a co-operation and a joint development.

(smow): And in this context, this year you are presenting several products in Milan by, let’s say, “new” Vitra Designers. Are they also the result of long term contacts?
Eckart Maise: Exactly. With Barber & Osgerby, for example, we’ve been in contact for around 6 years and have discussed various projects that then never got further than the very early stages. Which isn’t to say that they are better designers now than for 6 years, rather it simply didn’t come to this overlapping of the interests. With the Tip Ton chair that was different. Similarly with Alfredo Häberli we’ve been in contact for a long time, we already worked on one project together that was quite well developed but never completely clicked and so it was stopped. Which incidentally is something that both Vitra and our designers are always prepared to do: namely even in the later phases of the development to say, no this isn’t right or we’ve not achieved our goal or whatever the reason – let’s stop. The public obviously don’t see that. But it happens. And finally with Konstantin Grcic we first worked together four years ago in the context of a Vitra Editions project, and since then we’ve remained in contact and there are further co-operations with Konstantin in preparation that will come in the future.

Tip Ton by Barber Osergby for Vitra

(smow): Which brings us nicely to the next question. From what we know of Vitra we can’t imagine that you’d enter into new projects without planning a longer co-operation?
Eckart Maise: Yes, and in all cases there other projects in development. But it can also develop other than one expects and sometimes it remains with just the one project. But we always enter into a designer cooperation with the aim of it being a long term cooperation.

(smow): Which is perhaps a good moment to discuss Hella Jongerius and the Bouroullecs. Our impression is that up till now they have played the central role in the development of the Vitra Home Collection. Is that so, and if so why?
Eckart Maise: Every designer naturally stands for one position and has their own voice. The Boroullecs are good for the Vitra Home Collection because they think in terms of systems, in terms of collections, plus they have highly poetic expression and they are very good at combining technical solutions with a poetic expression which is very important in the home. In the home you don’t want a product that is purely functional because the decision for a product is never a rational decision alone, rather emotion also plays an important role.
And with Hella Jongerius, for us Hella embodies the decorative, and also the importance of haptic, of the material, the colours. Also she also represents a return to handwork, which obviously plays an important role in the home.
But of course it’s not just the Bouroullcs and Jongerius, also Jasper Morrison plays an important role or Antonio Citterio and then of course we also have the design classics. And so one has altogether this collage.

Grand Repos and Panchina by Antonio Citterio for Vitra

(smow): You spoke earlier about soft seating and in that area Vitra is currently well represented, can you say where the Vitra Home Collection will develop in the future?
Eckart Maise: We will continue in the same areas as now but also in smaller objects, accessories such L’oiseau by the Bouroullecs or in dining but it’s not our intention, for example, to move into, as we say in German “Kastenmöbel, so shelving and sideboards. In that area there are other producers who are better equipped.  We have our experience and our competence in seating and in Milan we have, for example, a reclining lounger by Antonio Citterio where he has used his experience in office chairs to develop a lounge chair with a synchronizing technology in which the back tilts and at the same time the seat moves so that you maintain the same comfort regardless of seating position. And that in a very restrained style where the mechanism is not visible, it’s all incorporated in the legs and under the seat.  And in such areas is where we have our strength.

(smow): And a final question. Is the Vitra Milan Collection 2011 a good vintage? As Vitra Chief Design Officer are you confident it will positively received?
Eckart Maise: For us it’s a good year, not least because it is always exciting when you present new co-operations, that is always a large step to take as a producer. But the co-operations are also important as they enrich us, as if the family has enlarged, or the choir has grown and we can now sing new songs. And we’re confident because we have a wide variety of products from a broad range of designers; in comparison to last year where we had a very strong focus on the Suita from Antonio Citterio. This year we’ve got Vitra’s first plywood seat shell from Alfredo Häberli; we’ve further developed the HAL range with Jasper Morrison; we have the new lounger by Antionio Citterio – from our perspectiveve finally a real alternative to the Eames Lounge Chair! And that with a comparable comfort quality. Then with the Tip Ton chair from Barber & Osgerby a chair that is a real innovation in terms of the sitting experience. And in Waver from Konstantin Grcic we have a chair that is something truly new and fresh for Vitra and is an uncomplicated, young form of seating. And so we are looking forward to the reaction.

Jill by Alfredo Häberli for Vitra

Tip Ton by Barber Osergby for Vitra

Grand Repos and Panchina by Antonio Citterio for Vitra

Waver by Konstantin Grcic for Vitra