We always welcome a bit of shelf improvement so we’re smitten with the new ‘T Shelf’, the minimalist outcome of a debut collaboration between Swedish furniture brand Hem and research-based design studio Formafantasma. Hem founder Petrus Palmér first approached the studio about a collaboration back in 2017 and, after five years of skilful product development, the brand has now unveiled this quietly sophisticated shelving system.
Using an extruded aluminium composition, traditionally used in industrial manufacturing processes, the ‘T Shelf’ is a highly complex innovation featuring a seemingly simple T profile that allows for long unsupported spans and an elegant yet sturdy construction.
‘Working with Hem felt like a natural fit, and the team really allowed us to push creative boundaries,’ say Formafantasma’s co-founders Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, who recently returned to Italy after 14 years in the Netherlands, opening a studio within the spaces of the Assab One cultural complex.
‘Hem’s patience with the long process of prototyping and testing resulted in a final product that looks minimal and elegant but is a masterpiece of design and manufacturing.’
Trimarchi and Farresin wanted to create a piece that would be timeless, but that also took into account the responsible use of materials. ‘It’s important to us that our work is not wasteful,’ say the design duo. ‘Extrusion creates minimal waste and aluminium is easily recyclable.’ This led Hem’s research and development team to a new manufacturing partner, Hydro, a company that specialises in high-quality aluminium and is committed to sustainable practice, with the ‘T Shelf’ being made from Hydro Restore, a combination of recycled pre-and-post consumer scrap and primary aluminium.
As an added bonus, this cutting-edge system, which comes in an industrial anodised aluminium finish, comprises six different height and width modules that can be connected, allowing for myriad bespoke shelving solutions.
INFORMATION
hem.com
formafantasma.com
hydro.com
-
The cosmos meets art history in Vivian Greven’s New York exhibitionVivian Greven’s ‘When the Sun Hits the Moon’, at Perrotin in New York City, is the artist’s first solo exhibition in the USA
-
Stephen Friedman Gallery by David Kohn is infused with subtly playful eleganceStephen Friedman Gallery gets a new home by David Kohn in London, filled with elegant details and colourful accents
-
Time & Style opens two new Milan locations and unveils new projects during Salone del MobileJapanese furniture company Time & Style opens two new showrooms while presenting new pieces at Milan Design Week 2024
-
Hyperlocal design: these Atelier100 products are made within 100km of LondonAtelier100 launches its retail space and debut locally focused design collection in London’s Hammersmith
-
Kettal and Tectum’s indoor hydroponic garden combats cabin fever with office-grown vegKettal and Tectum Garden’s hydroponic indoor garden offers new opportunities for home-grown veg and adds a sprinkle of greenery to office spaces
-
Post consumer waste design: Jane Atfield’s groundbreaking recycled chair turns 30New York gallerist Emma Scully revisits the groundbreaking design of Jane Atfield's RCP2 recycled plastic chair, on the 30th anniversary of its creation
-
Glasgow School of Art students give new life to CitizenM lobby furnitureCoinciding with COP26, CitizenM partners with The Glasgow School of Art to showcase iconic Vitra furniture pieces repurposed by interior design students in collaboration with Bute Fabrics
-
3D-printed portable toilet ‘The Throne’ offers a snazzier place to answer nature’s call3D-printed from upcycled single-use medical plastic, ‘The Throne’ by To.org and Nagami reinvents the portable toilet and brings an ‘unsexy conversation’ about sanitation to the forefront
-
Very Good & Proper’s new sustainable outdoor furniture is summer-readyNew all-weather furniture by Very Good & Proper combines sustainable materials with a minimal design, suitable for any outdoor space, from leafy gardens to urban balconies
-
Sustainable furniture: responsible chairs made from recycled materialsDesigners such as Tom Dixon, Nendo and Konstantin Grcic have upped their sustainability efforts, with ongoing R&D resulting in sustainable furniture collections, including garden furniture, that merge good design with a responsible approach
-
Kartell’s industrial manifesto puts sustainability front and centreKartell presents its sustainability manifesto, revisiting classic products like the ‘Componibili’ cabinet in biodegradable materials, and introducing new sustainable designs in recycled plastics by Philippe Starck and Antonio Citterio
