Furniture maker Prostoria turns factory into exhibition

Prostoria showroom interior with walls made of stacked wooden planks. On display is a cream sectional sofa and a modernist upholstered chair with wooden back, shown on a cream area rug

The ‘Revisiting Factory’ exhibition, staged by Croatia-based furniture maker Prostoria at its its HQ in Sveti Križ Začretje. Shown here, the ‘Absent’ sofa and the ‘Tinker’ easy chair

(Image credit: TBC)

By Simon Mills

in News

In partnership with Prostoria

Anticipating the beginning of the possible end of the global pandemic, Croatia-based furniture maker Prostoria opened up the doors of its HQ in Sveti Križ Začretje to the public. At the ‘Revisiting Factory’ exhibition, staged in Prostoria’s 3,200 sq m wood drying facility, vast piles of raw timber were arranged to create warm and social environments: home offices, lounge interiors, hallways, club rooms and outdoor terraces, all showcasing the company’s tables and chairs, including the ‘Polygon’ armchair and the ‘Revolve’ transformable sofa.

For a week in June 2021, the brand’s handmade design aesthetic emerged from between high blocks of planks that are normally stored until they reach dry maturity and are ready for processing into quality furniture.

Prostoria showroom interior with walls made of stacked wooden planks. On display are a white chair and a set of sofa and armchairs with wooden structures and upholstery in white and pink — Outdoors seating by Prostoria, including the ‘Polygon’ armchair in white and ‘Umomoku’ sofa and armchairs

With social responsibility and a strategic dedication to research-based design at the core of Prostoria brand’s evolution, ‘Revisiting Factory’ exemplifies the audacious spirit of a company unbounded and unafraid in its quest to make a contribution to not just design and manufacturing but also wider culture.

The exhibition, said its organisers, was both showpiece and collaborative project, ‘encouraging designers to grow together with the company on the grounds of mutual trust and shared goals’. The dynamic workshop ambience created opportunities for designers to explore their ideas in socially synergetic conditions and engage with the highest level of design, functionality and technological artisanship.

Prostoria showroom interior with walls made of stacked wooden planks. On the foreground are a high-backed red armchair and ottoman and a sofa and armchair set in neutral colours — The ‘Trifidae’ armchair and ottoman in red upholstery fabric and the ‘Impression’ sofa and armchair. On the right is the ‘Knif’ shelving system

‘In our factory, we develop prototypes and produce furniture from wood, leather, metal and fabrics of natural origin,’ explains Prostoria CEO Tomislav Knezović. ‘The production in our factory reflects how committed we are to quality; we know we can guarantee it. All these elements combined have enabled us to establish Prostoria as a premium brand in the international furniture industry selling products in more than 900 premium showrooms worldwide.’

Our factory is a research laboratory where sustainability is part of the design process
Tomislav Knezović

‘Revisiting Factory’ is a continuation of a 2020 Prostoria project entitled ‘Revisiting Analogue’. Both exhibitions offered new ways of communicating brand experiences while international fairs all over the world were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prostoria showroom interior with walls made of stacked wooden planks. On display are a series of chairs upholstered in different shades of blue textile — ‘Trifidae’ easy chair

‘Revisiting Analogue’ gained Prostoria two nods in the German Brand Awards 2021; it won the Excellence in Brand Strategy and Creation category, for storytelling and content marketing, as well as a special mention for Brand Experience of the Year. Both projects were developed in collaboration with designers from Numen/ForUse studio and Simon Morasi Piperčić. Overcoming unprecedented working conditions during the pandemic, Prostoria also won first prize in the Excellent Brands – Interior & Living category.

‘Prostoria is a family business built on a passion for creating quality furniture that enriches living space,’ explained Knezović at the ‘Revisiting Factory’ exhibition opening. ‘During our first ten years, we have switched very quickly from artisanal manufacturing to large-scale industrial production. From the very beginning, Prostoria took the course of a design-led company and used this as a tool for creating added value and implementing quality standards in the development and production of furniture. Our factory is a research laboratory where sustainability is part of the design process.’

Watch: Prostoria's ‘Revisiting Factory’

INFORMATION

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Simon Mills is a journalist, writer, editor, author and brand consultant who has worked with magazines, newspapers and contract publishing for more than 25 years. He is the Bespoke editor at Wallpaper* magazine.