'Latte by Tomoyuki Matsuoka for Bla Station
The Japanese designer Tomoyuki Matsuoka designed this family of simple and graphical chairs for the Swedish manufacturer Blå Station. ‘Latte’ consists of a lacquered tubular steel frame and a seating made from laser-cut sheet metal. Anyway it is also availabe with an upholstered seat pad and therefore suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
Known for their colourful collection Blå Station also developed a beautiful colour scheme for ‘Latte’.
'Kalotte' by Sebastian Summa for Hugo Bräuer Metallwaren
By means of its relatively simple and artless old buildings one can see that Neukölln, since a few year’s one of the hippest quarters of Berlin, used to be a typical worker’s house area with many workshops and lots of small-scale industry once.
Some of these old workshops survived and with the help of some Berlin based designers one of them was even able to draw attention to a trade which has almost disappeared behind the globalised market. Together with the industrial designer Sebastian Summa, who is trained as a blacksmith and graduated at University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, the 100 year’s old family owned metal spinning workshop Hugo Bräuer Metalware developed this beautiful series of suspension lamps.
'Sixties' by Fermob
Fermob is specialised in metal outdoor furniture. At this year’s imm cologne the French manufacturer presented this new armchair designed by Fréderic Sofia. The seating is made from a polymer mesh which is woven around an smartly curved metal frame.
'Straw' chair by osko+deichmann
The Berlin based designers osko+deichmann originally designed their cantilever straw chair in occasion of last year’s 90th Bauhaus anniversary. It was an homage to the Marcel Breuer classic.
The Swedish manufacturer Blå Station who produces also osko+deichmann’s sofa ‘Pebble’ was fascinated by the rather rough processing the designers used – instead of bending the metal tube smoothly, they edged it.
'Straw' chair for Blå Station
In collaboration with Blå Station osko+deichmann created a stackable chair, which is adapted for outdoor use as well. It was presented at this year’s Stockholm Furniture Fair for the first time.
'Straw' chair by osko+deichmann
The 'Straw' chair has been awarded with +1 Award for Best In Show 2010
more Blå Station products @ Architonic
‘Straw Chair’ – homage to Marcel Breuer by osko+deichmann
'Dr. Bubbles goes on the Rocks' by Studio Harry&Camilla
The Barcelona based Studio Harry&Camilla designed this sculptural metal chair which was presented at this year’s TDF, Tenerife Design Festival. ’Dr. Bubbles goes on the Rocks’ was exhibitied at the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, a beautiful multifunctional art centre designed by Herzog&de Meuron.
'Dr. Bubbles goes on the Rocks' by tudio Harry&Camilla
Detail
Tenerife Espacio de las Artes designed by Herzog&De Meuron
to the Studio Harry&Camilla website
'Metal Lamp' by Big-Game
Last year the Swiss/Belgian designers of Big-Game designed ‘Wood Work’ a floorlamp made of solid balsa wood, for the ‘La liseuse’ exhibition at the galerie kreo in Paris. Evolving from the handcrafted technique of the this wooden prototype, the ‘Metal Work’ as a table lamp version enters the industrial field.
'Metal Work' by Big-Game
'Wood Work' by Big-Game
'Wood Work' by Big-Game
'Metal Work' by Big-Game
'Crate' by Martin Born
The Eindhoven-based designer Martin Born designed this modular shelf system which can be composed in full freedom of alignment and orientation.
'Crate' sytem by Martin Born
This three-dimensional predicate uncloses applications inaccessible to the typological wall-form: Choreographed “movements” and sophisticated access paths are as easily realised as more “ordinary” setups – without loss of use value. Together with a nuanced palette of colours, the system gives architects an immense freedom in elaborating and coordinating the storage piece as an active design element.
'Crate' by Martin Born
'4foldlow' by George Rice of formtank
At last year’s 100%Design in London the British label formtank presented the ’2d3d Group’ – a collection of tables whose bases are made of cleverly folded sheet metal. Recently George Rice, designer of formtank, came up with his new edition ‘4foldlow’ – a coffee table which builds on the success of this efficient and sustainable technique.
'4foldlow' by George Rice, formtank
Here is what the designer explains:
“4foldlow, like the entire 2d3d Group of tables to which it belongs, has been reverse designed from the standard size of sheet steel in order to optimises yield and minimise waste.
Sheet steel is cut using laser technology and then hand folded by engineers in a process that can trace its roots to the Japanese art of origami.
Bending back the steel structure in your minds eye reveals the 2 dimensional pattern and the secret of the design innovation. The horizontal and vertical components provide strength and rigidity in this delightful marriage of creativity and logic.”
Minimising Waste
“Environmental Design is on everyone’s agenda and Formtank is looking towards a more sustainable approach to manufacturing. With this in mind the 2d3d Group attempts to produce “more from less” through a simple proposition; utilise a single sheet of steel in the most efficient way.
The reverse design approach yields 8 tables from one standard sheet of steel and limits waste to just 3.5% overall. Moreover the intricate forms creates the illusion of there being more material than there actually is, conversely the steel sub-structure represents just one quarter of total mass.”
'4foldlow' by formtank
Rooted in triangles: the 2d3d development
The development of 4foldlow has been long and extensive, requiring complex mathematics and precision engineering. The outcome is visually complex, while on closer inspection the structure begins to reveal itself.
“The outcome is totally unique and the glass top acts like a picture frame bringing the whole piece together” remarks George Rice, the designer of 4foldlow. “I’m delighted with the result, it never fails to stop people in their tracks while they scratch their heads a little!”
4foldlow is available direct from Formtank from August 2009.
'Affe' by Atelier Haussmann
At this year´s DMY Festival the Berlin-based designers of Atelier Haussmann presented ‘Affe’ a multi-prupose table which consists of adjustable trestles made from oiled crude steel and variable shelves and slabs.
‘Lackaffe’ is a second version with lacquered trestles.
'Lackaffe' by Atelier Haussmann
'Top' by Zero
The Swedish manufacturer Zero recently presented ‘Top’, a new series fo interior lighting, designed by Tham & Videgård Hansson. The lampshades are made of painted metal, the diffuser of matt opal acrylic. The pendant version is special for the little wire which enables the user to adjust the angle of the shade.
'Top' by Zero
'Top' wall lamp by Zero
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