In good shape

Innovative, practical, beautiful: you should know these design classics from Germany.

09.02.2018

Design made in Germany: ‘Phonosuper SK 4’ by Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot. — ‘Phonosuper SK 4’ by Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot. © dpa

Germany. On 9 February, the German Design Council (Rat für Formgebung) will present the German Design Award in Frankfurt. Fashion designer Jil Sander will be honoured for her life’s work, newcomers will win prizes for their first works. Can German design be described on the basis of these objects whose innovative design has made history? Well, we can try!

Design made in Germany: ‘S 32’ (or ‘Cesca’) cantilever chair — ‘S 32’ (or ‘Cesca’) cantilever chair The ‘S 32’ chair, also known as ‘Cesca’, was one of the first cantilever chairs around 1928. It combines the bentwood tradition, for which the manufacturer Thonet was famous, with the new curved tubular steel technology for the seat and back. Designer Marcel Breuer (1902–1981) wrote that his tubular steel furniture was “light, open work, as though drawn into space.” The artistic copyright for the cantilever was awarded to the Dutch designer Mart Stam, who was the first to design a tubular steel chair with no rear legs. Breuer and Stam are therefore regarded as the designers of the chair. © Thonet

Design made in Germany: ‘Urbino’ dinnerware — ‘Urbino’ dinnerware “As simple as possible, as elegant as possible:” this was the guiding principle of ceramist Trude Petri (1906–1998), who designed the ‘Urbino’ dinner service for the Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM) in Berlin. Chinese rice bowls inspired her to sweeping, simple forms: the flat plates have no borders, the terrine lids double up as bowls. ‘Urbino’ has been in production ever since 1931 and is still part of the KPM range. © KPM Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin GmbH

Design made in Germany: ‘mono-a’ cutlery — ‘mono-a’ cutlery When Peter Raacke (born in 1928) was awarded the contract to design a new range of cutlery, the remit was to minimize waste and offer top-quality craftsmanship at a moderate price. His stainless-steel ‘mono-a’ design is based on basic geometric shapes; the product is still largely hand made today in the manufactory that now bears the name of its best seller: the ‘mono’. © mono GmbH

Design made in Germany: ‘T 1000 CD’ multi-band radio — ‘T 1000 CD’ multi-band radio Designer Dieter Rams (born in 1932) became famous for his work for the Braun electrical appliance firm and the Vitsoe furniture company. His best piece for Braun was the ‘T 1000 CD’ world receiver. With a loop antenna, the device could even be used as a navigation device. In the 1990s, the precise design of the ‘T 1000 CD’ influenced British designer Jonathan Ive when developing the styling for Apple. © BRAUN P&G

Design made in Germany: ‘Tizio’ desk lamp — ‘Tizio’ desk lamp Richard Sapper (1932-2015) designed the ‘Tizio’ desk lamp in 1972 for the Italian manufacturer Artemide because he couldn’t find a work lamp that met his needs. It became a top seller and can be seen in the most important design collections and museums. To avoid untidy cables, Sapper, used a low-voltage halogen lamp, and the arms carried the electrical current. Sapper also developed an economical LED version. © Artemide

Design made in Germany: Bulthaup kitchen workbench — Bulthaup kitchen workbench In 1988, Bulthaup created a new kitchen type with his kitchen workbench, responding to the need for communication when preparing, cooking and eating food. It takes the place of the kitchen cabinet. Based on fire and water, the primal elements of cooking, the free-standing, ergonomically conceived workbench has moved to the middle of the room – as a kitchen island. The company introduced the successor model in 2016: the ‘b1’ Kitchen. © Bulthaup

Design made in Germany: ‘Chair_One’ — ‘Chair_One’ The Munich designer Konstantin Grcic (born in 1965) designed the ‘Chair_One’ for the Italian Magis brand in 2003. Rather like a football composed of polyhedra, the seat shell of the ‘Chair_One’ consists of flat, triangular structural elements. It was originally designed for outdoor use, but, because of its iconic impact, many variants of the chair quickly found their way into homes and offices. © Magis

German Design Award, 9. Februar 2018

In good shape

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