Contract thrillers: working wonders from Orgatec 2016
Always ergonomic but rarely rousing, contract furniture has come a long way since its genesis in cold corporate offices. This year’s offering at biannual trade fair Orgatec in Cologne saw an influx of contract creativity, as workspaces shift away from corporate locales for the home and beyond...
Dinesen showed how its organic material transforms from log to table...
...in an 11m long Douglas tree installation at Vitra’s ’Work’ stand
In the same space, Artek celebrated Alvar Aalto’s many collections, focusing on the materials and inspiration behind the architect’s iconic L-Leg system
The Finnish brand explored how the flexible collections can create modern office habitats
Lensvelt’s ’Boring’ collection took the shape of a colossal tower by Lernert & Sander, inspired by Ettore Sottsass’ ’Carlton’ bookcase
Over at Post Köln, German brand Zeitraum launched a playful table system by Kaschkasch that transforms the architecture of the room
The portable piece is titled ’Rail’
BuzziSpace’s new releases included this chair by Alain Gilles, boasting a lightweight form that can be used around the house, from the study to dining room
Italian brand Pedrali eschewed the idea of a dull workspace, presenting an ’Ironic Office’ installation of vibrant and conceptual pieces, designed by Calvi Brambilla
New products featured in the multiple spaces included ’Snooze’ – sound absorbing panels designed by Marcello Ziliani
The three-dimensional frames were injected with surreal office motifs like these enlarged clocks
Tom Dixon launched an inaugural office range that included a ’Boom’ desk light and ’Slab’ school desk
Nendo presented a futuristic office with an installation of large multi-coloured circular boards dividing the space. Titled ’Rolling Workspace’, the dynamic acoustic pieces slot into the furniture, encouraging a mobile, creative environment