‘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
-
The Sialia 45 cruiser is a welcome addition to the new generation of electric boatsPolish shipbuilder Sialia Yachts has launched the Sialia 45, a 14m all-electric cruiser for silent running
-
Tokyo design studio We+ transforms microalgae into coloursCould microalgae be the sustainable pigment of the future? A Japanese research project investigates
-
What to see at London Craft Week 2025With London Craft Week just around the corner, Wallpaper* rounds up the must-see moments from this year’s programme
-
Vincent Van Duysen ‘inspired by modernism’ for Molteni & C’s outdoor furniture debutMolteni & C goes alfresco with two new collections and reissued classics, bringing its signature elegance to the great outdoors
-
First look inside Centurion New York by Yabu PushelbergCenturion New York is an expansive new space for American Express’ ‘black card’ members. Its interior designers Yabu Pushelberg give us a tour
-
Is this the most beautiful office in the world?Parisian creative agency Art Recherche Industrie’s new HQ translates a 19th-century landmark into a chic open-plan office worth leaving home for
-
Designer James Shaw’s latest creation is a self-built home in east LondonJames Shaw's east London home is Filled with vintage finds and his trademark extruded plastic furniture, a compact self-built marvel
-
Taschen tantalises with new edition of Jorge Pardo’s ‘Brussels Lamps’German publishing house Taschen launches a limited-edition series of five ‘Brussels Lamps’ by Cuban-American artist Jorge Pardo
-
Edra’s outdoor furniture is an ode to the seaDesigned by long-term collaborator Jacopo Foggini, the ‘A’mare’ collection of outdoor furniture mimics shiny water, and was named 'Best Disappearing Act' at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023
-
Peep inside Luca Nichetto’s Pink Villa in Stockholm, part studio, part showroomWelcome to the pink house that is the new Stockholm home to Luca Nichetto's team
-
These papier-mâché lamps combine craft with sustainabilitySustainability and fine art are the driving inspirations behind ‘resolutely maximalist’ London lighting designer Rowena Morgan-Cox of Palefire
