It may not be the most universally recognised example of either Charles Eames' nor Eero Saarinen's canon however their 1940 "Conversation Chair" is without doubt one of the more important examples of 20th century furniture design. Designed for the New York Museum of Modern Art's "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" competition the Conversation Chair was a concept piece and Eames' and Saarinen's first attempt at moulding synthetics. At that time however the technology lagged somewhat behind
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On June 26th the (smow)blog team befind themselves in Weil am Rhein and a workshop in cardboard furniture production at the Vitra Design Museum. The plans for our new piece are relatively well advanced, that said we did take the opportunity to check out some of the cardboard furniture on display at this years DMY Berlin. Below a small selection of some of the pieces that especially caught our attention. Edge Table was the first collaboration between father and son team Cameron and Martin
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Although in the course of his career Verner Panton worked with numerous designer furniture producers, his name is undoubtedly most closely associated with Vitra. Not least because of his seminal Panton Chair. The exhibition "Panton by Vitra" at Wasserschloss Klaffenbach in Chemnitz offers visitors an insight into the life and work of one of the most important and influential post-war European designers. While still a student Verner Panton worked in Arne Jacobsen's Copenhagen office and
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If we're honest - and when are we not - the news caused more than little unrest in (smow)blog HQ: Last Wednesday the VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein greeted it's 100,000th visitor. And that in only 12 weeks! And with the VitraHaus now looking likely to attract more the 500,000 visitors in its first year, Herzog and de Meureon's structure is well on its way to becoming one of Germany's leading tourist attractions. Lovely! Admirers and fans of the VitraHaus can interact and share photos, tips and
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In conjunction with the current exhibition "The Essence of Things. Design and the Art of Reduction" the Vitra Design Museum are running a series of summer workshops. "The Essence of Things. Design and the Art of Reduction" deals, as the name implies, with "reduction" in design: principally the reasons for reduction in design - be they technical, aesthetic or philosophical. Using this as the basis, the workshops encourage participants to think "reduced" and for all to create useful products
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On account of the horrendous hotel prices demanded during design week the (smow)blog team camp in Milan. And that despite last years near-drowning episode. This year the decision was a real blessing. Spared the torment of those trapped by Eyjafjallajokull at Milan Airport our return journey this year took us via Weil am Rhein, Vitra and the VitraHaus. What a difference the weather makes! When we were there for the opening in February architect Jacques Herzog commented, somewhat solemnly,
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For people who spend most of their working lives sat at desks, publishers and authors have a frightening disregard for comfort when it comes to chairs. Or at least they do if the furniture we saw at the 2010 Leipzig Buchmesse was a measure of the industry norm. Cheap folding chairs, cheap copies of designer furniture classics being presented as originals and general cheap tat as far as the eye could see. Fortunately one or two of the exhibitors seemed better informed. Below a few snapshots
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On Saturday 20.03.2010 the latest Vitra Design Museum exhibition "The Essence of Things. Design and the Art of Reduction" officially opens. An exhibition very much after our own hearts. "The Essence of Things. Design and the Art of Reduction" explores the logic that "it is in the nature of human beings to seek the simplest solution" Although admittedly this is a logic that - despite its logic - all too many designers somehow manage to ignore, there are thankfully enough examples of good,
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In the past we have often talked about airports, airport design and airport furniture. And not just because we want to demonstrate how much we travel and how often we are in airports. But because we find it just as important that high-quality furniture is available in public spaces as in the home or office. If you think your office furniture is well used - imagine the stress your average airport chair is put under. From March 23rd until March 25th Europe's largest airport terminal
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They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. They, however, have obviously never spent hours, weeks and years sweating over a project until it is perfect. And so whether it is furniture designs, web site concepts or literature, they simply copy. In January the winners of the 2010 Plagiarius Competition for excellence in copying the work of others were announced. Among the happy winners a Chinese imitation of a German ice tray and Polish rip-off of a German toy combine
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As many of you will be aware, the construction of the VitraHaus was not without it's controversy. For all the decision to paint the outer walls black. We at (smow)blog can however exclusively reveal that other options were considered. And below we publish exclusive pictures of the rejected colour schemes. Berlin based, Dutch designer Hella Jongerius has created the Vitra Colour Laboratory to help encourage VitraHaus visitors to be more imaginative and creative in their use of colour. One
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If a picture really does paint a thousand words; a dozen VitraHaus photos here saves us an awful lot of typing. Below a few of our favourite images. And if you have any of your own photos that you would like to share with us, please email them to blog@smow.de Full credit will naturally be given for any photos used.
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Some 285 journalists were present for the press preview of Herzog & De Meuron's new VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein on February 12 2010. 285 journalists who were then obliged not to breath a word about what they had experienced until Saturday 20.02.2010...... Lets get the obvious point out the way first. The VitraHaus is magnificent. We approached Herzog & De Meuron's construction on foot from Mühlheimerstrasse and the first view over the car park was every bit as wonderful as we had expected.
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When we were still young, fit and healthy, towns and cities existed. Just existed. These days in order to exist a city needs to be the city of something. And so as one drives along a German motorway, every ten metres or so comes a large brown sign announcing the next conurbation as "Chemnitz - City of the Modernity", "Pied Piper City Hameln" or "Prien am Chiemsee - City of the criminally lazy taxi drivers". Not wanting to be the outsider in this age of claims making, Weil am Rhein has
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Despite the many disadvantages, problems and general chaos budget airlines have brought into our previously well structured and ordered lives, they have brought one clear advantage: The opportunity to visit really remote airports. More through necessity than freewill, thousands of air travellers now find themselves avoiding the likes of Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle or Frankfurt am Main Airport, and instead experiencing the delights of Klagenfurt, Tampere or Altenburg. At least in all modern
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9th February 2010, Brussels Under the motto "Think before you Post" the from the EU funded Safer Internet Day 2010 is focused primarily on how one deals with privacy in the internet, especially as concerns young people, photos, social networking sites and chatrooms. Which is naturally a positive thing. In essence one of the core reasons that people for all kids, run into problems on the internet is because they blindly believe everything they read. Previously "the camera never lied", we
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In the wake of our "warehouse" post we have received numerous emails along a similar vein: "It's OK for yous and your highly trained Eames Elephants; but how do we get our USM Haller furniture into our flat?" The simple answer - assuming you live in Germany - is "PREMIUM delivery" Under normal conditions the Schenker delivery crews are only allowed to deliver to the door of your building. It's a legal thing. With "PREMIUM delivery", however, for a small additional fee not only will the
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As announced yesterday we sadly cannot attend this years Stockholm Furniture Fair - because we have to go to Switzerland, and then quickly back over the border to Germany, or better put: The Official Preview of the Vitra Design Museum complex in Weil am Rhein's newest attraction. The VitraHaus. Designed by Swiss star architects Herzog & de Meuron - perhaps best known for the Beijing National Stadium or the extension of the Tate gallery in London - the VitraHaus is principally conceived as an
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The last couple of days have seen an endless stream of emails into the (smow)blog bunker asking if we are OK. And if we're OK, why aren't we posting anything? Can't we be bothered? Are we bored? Have we finally be rumbled by the (smow)boss? Far from it, the sad truth is we've been forced into doing some real work for change. We know, we can't believe it either! (smow) ... in stock and ready to go.. The combination of Christmas holidays and heavy snow throughout Europe has meant that
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Zeeland, Michigan, 1969 Ten years ago Charles and Ray Eames revolutionised the world of chair design with their "aluminium Chair" range. And now they hope to do it again. In one of the most eagerly anticipated announcements of the year, Charles and Ray Eames today unveiled their new product range: soft Pad “soft Pad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device” declared a proud Charles Eames as he unveiled the new range to the specially invited journalists in the
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In what is quite possibly the most eagerly anticipated announcement of 2010, Apple Supremo Steve Jobs will unveil the companies latest product in San Francisco on Wednesday. Rumoured the be called iSlate, or possibly iPad or iTablet, the product is expected to combine the functionality of the iPhone with that of the iMac in a flat, transportable, keyboardless computer; thus allowing the user to write, draw and calculate anywhere. In effect a chalkboard for the 21st century. Hence the name.
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There is little doubt as to who the most popular furniture producers with the exhibitors here in Köln are.... Vitra and Kartell. Two producers whom the Messe Köln sadly can't attract to the show in their own right. And that despite the fact that all the snack bars here in Köln Messe use Maarten van Severen's genial .03 On the stands here however we've seen, for example, Panton Chairs being used to augment otherwise tasteless bedroom suites and the classic Vitra DSR by Charles and Ray Eames
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To celebrate their 50th birthday the German furnishings magazine "Schöner Wohnen" have produced a small book entitled "Das Buch der Klassiker“ ("The book of classics") in which the magazine present their 400 furniture and accessory classics. And an exhibition of the selected items forms the basis of the Schöner Wohnen stand here in Cologne. Aside from familiar faces such as Vegetal by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec from Vitra or the Castore lamp by Huub Ubbens und Michele De Lucchi for
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Designed in 2005 for the French producer Ligne Roset, Facett by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec will be familiar, at least tactility, to all who know the Bretonnian Brothers Alcove Sofa for Vitra. A winner of a RED DOT award in 2005 the Facett armchair is part of a small range of living and dining room furniture that also features a sofa and dining chair. While garish orange/yellow isn't always our favourite colour, Facett simply wouldn't work in any other colour scheme. And exactly because the
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