The "Connected" exhibition will open at London's Design Museum on September 11, showcasing nine table and seating designs adapted to the new "pandemic" lifestyle of living and working in or from home. The furniture on display was created by nine designers from around the world invited to the initiative, including Maria Jeglińska-Adamczewska, who prepared the Arco set - a seat and table made of American cherry wood. The exhibition is on view until October 11.
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC)trade association, furniture maker Benchmark Furniture and the London Design Museum challenged the invited artists to create furniture from American hardwoods: red oak, maple or cherry. Due to the prevailing pandemic, furniture designers and makers had to adapt their work to the restrictions in place and collaborate remotely. You can read more about the initiative here.
Commissioning nine designers to produce furniture from wood is not something particularly original. But we don't live in normal times. We all spend a great deal of time at home and have to adapt to new ways of working. The pandemic has forced each of our designers to take a new look at their home office or workshop and their actual needs. The "Connected" project turned out to be a rare opportunity for them to design something for themselves, with the main challenge being to rely entirely on digital communication. Such a project could not have been more appropriate to the current situation, and we are delighted with the resulting work," said Justin McGuirk, chief curator at the Design Museum.
The experiment resulted in nine unique designs:
Maria Jeglińska-Adamczewska (Poland)
Arco, wood species used: American cherry
Arco, designed by Maria Jeglińska-Adamczewska
Photo: David Cleveland
The Arco seat and table are inspired by the sculptural forms and architecture of Benedictine abbeys. The table's planks have been carefully matched in terms of grain, and the legs, set at an angle to the tabletop, have an unusual quarter-moon shape, which, thanks to metal inserts, ensures proper stress distribution on the tabletop. In turn, the contoured chair conforms to the curves of the body.
Ini Archibong (Switzerland)
Kadamba Gate, wood species used: American cherry, American red oak and thermally modified red oak
Kadamba Gate, design: Ini Archibong
photo: David Cleveland
The Kadamba Gate table and bench were designed as furniture for outdoor use. The frame is made of extrusions of different lengths and irregular shapes inspired by the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. The table top is laminated and machine-finished with a glossy colored epoxy coating and removable brass details that further act as water drains.
Maria Bruun (Denmark)
Nordic Pioneer, wood species used: American maple
Nordic Pioneer, design: Maria Bruun
Photo: David Cleveland
The Nordic Pioneer collection is maintained in Scandinavian style. The simplicity of the seating and folding table is due to the deliberate reduction of accessories and emphasis on the material and construction of the furniture itself. A wooden hinge that runs along the top allows the table to be raised and lowered.
Jaime Hayon (Spain)
Mesamachine, wood species used: American cherry
Mesamachine, design: Jaime Hayon
© organizers archive
The Mesamachine table is a multi-piece structure, creating a space for working, playing, dining and spending time with family. Like a Swiss Army Knife, the individual pieces of the set can be opened and pulled out as needed. Storage compartments and pull-out shelves function thanks to wooden, precision-made slides.
Heatherwick Studio (UK)
Stem, wood species used: American maple
Stem, design: Heatherwick Studio
photo: David Cleveland
In the design of the Stem table, plants are housed in curved, carved American maple legs. After spending three months at the same desk, the designers longed to return to nature, and began to see the space around them, which others can observe during numerous video conferences, as a television studio.
Sebastian Herkner (Germany)
Stammtisch, wood species used: American red oak and maple
Stammtisch, design: Sebastian Herkner
Photo: David Cleveland
The name Stammtisch translates as "table of regulars," a place for regular gatherings of friends and family. The designer, through a modular and organic form, wanted to create a space where different elements of his day could meet. The table was made of bleached red oak, finished with natural oil, and the large tray placed on it was created from smoked American maple, coated with matte clear natural oil. The stools and small tray are made of fired red oak.
Sabine Marcelis (Netherlands)
Candy Cubicle, wood species used: American maple
Candy Cubicle, design: Sabine Marcelis
photo: David Cleveland
The lockable Candy Cubicle set is inspired by the suitcase scene from the movie "Pulp Fiction." The exterior is made of white oil-painted American maple veneers, while the center is painted with a high-gloss yellow lacquer. Inside are compartments for books and a computer. The whole set was placed on color-matched yellow casters, which allow the set to be easily closed when the day's work is done.
Studiopepe (Italy)
Pink Moon, wood species used: American maple
Pink Moon, design: Studiopepe
© organizers archive
The Pink Moon set is inspired by spring's pink moon, with its design combining contrasting marquetry on the table legs with contemporary seating - the work of Scottish designer, architect and painter - Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Studio Swine (UK/Japan)
Humble Administrator's Chair and Table, wood species used: American red oak and cherry
Humble Administrator's Chair and Table, proj.: Studio Swine
© organizers archive
Studio Swine's design table and seatis inspired by traditional Chinese gardens and the archetype of the Ming chair. Steam-bent red oak was chosen for the curved front legs, armrests and seat back. A team of six craftsmen was engaged and a special jig was constructed to properly shape these pieces.
The exhibition can be visited both at the London Design Museum and virtually [info].
