Front’s ‘Pebble Rubble’ collection for Moroso mimics rock formations
‘Pebble Rubble’ by Front for Moroso with Kvadrat Febrik named Best Rock Formations at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023
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Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren, of Swedish design studio Front, have created 'Pebble Rubble', a modular seating system inspired by rocks for Moroso, with textiles created in collaboration with Kvadrat Febrik.
Nature has been a recurring theme throughout the work of the studio: living in Sweden, ‘nature is always around the corner,’ the designers say. Over the past several years, the pair have worked to develop a body of work inspired and informed by nature, which has now resulted in the 'Pebble Rubble' system for Moroso.
Taking themselves to Swedish forests to photograph and scan the environment (as well as working with an international network of scientists and researchers), Lagerkvist and Lindgren gained an understanding of the architecture of the forest and its living systems.
‘Pebble Rubble’ sofa element, from £5,970; pouf, from £1,570, both by Front, for Moroso, upholstered in ‘Arda’ fabric, by Front, for Kvadrat Febrik
‘As children in our native Sweden, our playground was the forest, and we imagined rocks, moss and fallen trees to be furniture and places for the body to rest and occupy,' say the designers of their process.
The pair worked with Moroso and Kvadrat Febrik to recreate natural surfaces on textiles using 3D scanning and photography: the upholstered volumes of ‘Pebble Rubble’ mimic weathered rocks, and are combined into traditional furniture functions that include sofas, armchairs and stools. The system is composed of 15 modules (seats and backrests) and three additional stools: together, they allow a multitude of compositions to create functional seating.
‘It’s an interplay between design and nature that is very important in these times,’ says Patrizia Moroso. ‘We have so much to learn from nature.’
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Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
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