At the world's largest exhibition, the Milan Furniture Salon 2013, held in mid-April, Vitra presented both the updated "classics" of 20th century design, as well as the works of contemporary designers. This year Vitra took part in the show with two stands: one showed the novelties of the home collection - Vitra Home Collection, on the second, in the Ufficio (Office) section, one could see the new developments of Vitra Office.
Home collection
Vitra's “home” pavilion included projects by contemporary designers - authors with whom Vitra has been working for several years, as well as reissued samples of the “classics” presented in new colors and materials.
An individual collage is formed from the combination of “icon” objects and works of modern designers - this is how Vitra seems to have an ideal interior. Such collage installations were presented at the stand in five “rooms”, which were designed by Vitra stylists and decorators.
So, projects of modern designerspresented at the exhibition:
1) Oursin pouf (fr. sea urchin), Sphere table and new Maharam pillows Hella Jongerius;
New for this year, the Oursin ottoman can be used both for its intended purpose - as a piece of furniture, and as a colorful accessory that can transform the atmosphere of any living space. The shape of the pouf is reminiscent of the sea urchin, which gave its name to this unusual piece of furniture. The knitted removable cover has been specially designed for the Oursin ottoman so that it is easy to clean. Thanks to the solid base material, the pouf can be used in any room.
The Sphere Table was specially designed for the Northern Delegations Hall of the UN Headquarters in New York, which was restored by Hella Jongerius and her team. Sphere Table is a solid wood table with a large hemispherical bubble screen made of milky acrylic glass (plexiglass). The screen can be attached to either the left or right side of the desk, to any of the four legs, providing the flexibility and space to meet the individual needs of the home office. The Sphere desk will fit into your home office. Combined with the warmth of a wooden table, this hemisphere creates a welcoming environment, combining the futuristic flair of a translucent ball with the familiar archetype of a wooden table.
2) Armchair Petit Repos Antonio Citterio
The family of armchairs by Antonio Citterio has been supplemented by the Petit Repos low chair. Just like Grand Repos and Repos, it is distinguished by the highest quality materials used, comfort and modern design. The Petit Repos chair has a built-in mechanism that tilts the backrest so that you can completely relax and plunge into this cozy chair. With its understated style, the Petit Repos armchair looks great in public spaces as well as in the living room. Removable textile chair covers are available in different colors.
3) Alcove Plume family of sofas and armchairs Ronan and Ervana Bouroullec.
The Alcove family of furniture is proof that a sofa can go beyond its immediate functionality and become a room in a room. With tall side and back panels, the Alcove sofa range offers a variety of intimate spaces. With Alcove Plume, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec complemented the Alcove family with a sofa with a lower seat and a distinct homey feel. Large, generously tailored seat cushions provide maximum comfort. Despite the smoothness of the lines, the pillows are quite dense, so the seated person does not risk "drowning" in them.
Reprints (re-designs) of the classics:
1) Jean Prouvet furniture collection in new colors and materials;
Vitra has been producing furniture by Jean Prouvé since 2001. Collaboration with the Prouvé family and Dutch designer Hella Jongerius Vitra has transformed the color palette of the entire Prouvé collection. Discreet but modern colors have redefined the classic pieces in the Jean Prouvé collection. The exhibition featured the Standard SP table and chair, the Solvay table, the EM Table and Compas Direction tables, the Fauteuil Direction and Fauteuil de Salon chairs, and the Solvay stool.
2) Charles & Ray Eames Furniture Collection again in new colors and materials.
Vitra has partnered with the Eames Office to update some of the classic pieces of furniture, in particular their color palette. For example, the Lounge Chair is now available in a new all-black version, and in addition to the Eames Stool in black ash. Eames Storage Units (ESU) storage furniture is also available in a new color scheme. The wooden bases of the Eames Plastic Chair series are now available in three shades of maple, while the Wire Chair is available in a new dark powder version, updated seat upholstery and three new wooden bases.
3) George Nelson Wall Clock in new colors (deep black - deep black).
The color schemes chosen for the "classic" relate to historical changes in design and the color concepts that designers followed at the time. At the same time, they are focused on further development, taking into account current trends. Thus, the items of the "classic" collections find freshness and new energy in the Vitra portfolio, but their original concept remains intact.
As already noted, the Vitra home collection, presented at the Milan Salon, is distinguished by an increased attention to color. Hella Jongerius worked on the new Vitra color library. The symbol of the new home collection is Hella Jongerius' color wheel, the result of a research project that was first presented last year at Dutch Design Week in Rotterdam. This color wheel illustrates how colors are perceived differently at different times of the day (8:00 am to 5:30 pm). Research in the field of color theory was reflected in the design of the stand itself: separate cubes with installations, open on both sides, were painted in different colors, conveying different moods.
Office collection
In the Office section, Vitra showcased its latest development - WorkBays designed by the Bouroullec brothers, as well as Alberto Meda's new Physix chair and the Bouroullec brothers' Soft Shell chair in new fabrics.
Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec's Workbay Office demonstrates how a simple system of fleece wall panels and horizontal surfaces can be used to create a workspace that meets modern requirements while creating a completely new atmosphere and space in the office.
Designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec developed the Workbay concept as an organic system of fleece walls and aluminum profiles that makes the rigid office layout a thing of the past. Free-standing compact modules create visually and acoustically shielded spaces where you can retreat and have a full meeting in a group of up to four people.
Team offices, meeting and work areas, meeting spaces and public lounges can all be created using multiple pieces of furniture and can be easily changed as needed. Variations in organic layouts, room sizes and wall heights help create new, more emotionally charged office landscapes that move away from the familiar categories of open-plan offices and cubicle-zoned workspaces. Users use Workbay Office topography as a way to orientate themselves in space - as in nature - and instinctively choose a work environment (public, open or private space) as closely as possible to the current situation.
Vitra furniture collections - in projects of foreign and Russian architects.
