Background
Six young, international design studios are discovering the emotionalism behind design.
ANNA BADUR
The Concrete Bench fools the eye with it’s authentic cushion-impression. The distance between the buttonholes has been adjusted to the human anatomy providing a surprisingly comfortable seating experience. Rain water can easily run off through the holes, so there will never be any dirty deposits by standing puddles. The use of high-performance concrete results in a smooth surface and the powder-coated steel frame adds a dash of color.
Drawn by Nature (fabrics) – Nature is a rather powerful and beautiful tool. It is tender yet disruptive at the same time. Drawn by Nature investigates if and how design processes can take advantage of the integration of natural forces in terms of creation. The unique patterns consist out of blue pigments that are blown over wet fabric by the wind. In this way the end result is directly determined by the process.
FLORIAN SCHMID
Acco Table is inspired by an wet twisted folding meter stick the designer approached through a research of its mechanism. The table legs are an expanded version of it, which gives a light and elegant impression. This pattern of wooden sticks from the geometric base and characteristic of the table. A glass surface emphasises the contrast between the light wooden frame and the top.
Stitching Concrete are seats sewn together from Concrete Canvas fabric. Once the fabric, which is steeped in concrete, is given a form and watered, it needs only 24 hours to harden and can then bear loads. A soft warm fabric encounters cold and stable concrete. The stools are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. They are fireproof, waterproof, impervious to UV radiation, and cannot be harmed by chemicals.
JENNY EKDAHL
Mechanical thoughts – inspired by how human thoughts could be described as complex machines and mechanisms on the inside of our bodies the functions were expressed in an organic, non-predictable way to mimic a human mind rather than predictable machines. The locking device of the cabinet is integrated in an organically shaped opening in the cabinet door, in which cogwheels move a bolt back and forth with a rattling sound as the user turns the key. By giving the cabinet a machine-like organ containing its vital function, fascinating mechanisms are made visible that otherwise are taken for granted by the user, creating a stimulating exchange lasting over time.
KAI LINKE
The Buurman is inspired by the classic preserving jars and drinking vessels which are widely spread in my home region. One example is the “Bembel”, made of saltglazed stoneware. Just as the preserving pot conserves the neighbourhood´s Golden harvest of the summer, the buurman keeps the goods and chattels of the owner, serving him as a side table or night table. Stoneware is one of the first used materials by humans, but in our modern lifetime it is time to be rediscovered it again.
MASHALLAH DESIGN
The idea behind the Pleat Box is that of a sophisticated combination between a digitally-designed crease in a piece of cloth, the silhouette of which is applied to a ceramic base.The outer part of the lamp is offered in white ceramic, underglazed red clay and grey –the result of recycling different enamels. The brilliant white enamel interior creates a glitter effect, which enhances the light from the lamp. It can also be supplied in gold on the inside, which generates an extremely warm light. Pleat Box has come about through the first-ever collaboration between Mashallah design studio in Berlin and Xavier Mañosa, a master ceramicist from Barcelona.
