‘I wanted to create a feeling of a primal place, for instance, tucking yourself into a corner,’ Scottish designer Nick Ross describes of his interpretation of the word dwelling. This was the starting point given to him by Danish brand +Halle for a new collection of upholstered furniture, that aims to provide a cosy, personalised environment, much like our homes.
Taking it back to archaic connotations of dwelling as instinctive, Ross veered away from modular lines to realise a curvaceous range made up of chairs, sofas, benches and stools that together create a habitat of safety. Keeping in theme with human instinct, +Halle lined up three sets of design teams to immerse in the theory of dwelling, and then from this research, Ross formed initial prototypes that people could touch. ‘It was an organic process and quite a playful one, engaging everyone in the concept.’ From this the Proto collection was born, a soft and highly interactive series – from Birdseye view, the sculptural forms appear as a whimsical drawing when arranged together.
Human intimacy was also embedded in the collection –when arranged arm to arm, two of the Proto chairs appear to have a warm embrace. These elements were again trialed before the official release – ‘the one thing that I noticed was that people started to move the pieces around, in the same way as we had tested,’ Ross says of the movability of the Proto landscape that can offer environments of repose and hiding for individuals.
Ross imagines the pieces in areas of vulnerability, ‘hospitals are an interesting setting or any space where you need that inner feeling of security.’ Proto is a collection devised with plenty of thought, and for the benefit of human connection that we all crave – Ross muses that Proto can be used to ‘foster an intimacy that often gets lost today.’
INFORMATION
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