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Officelayout 169
aprile-giugno 2017
“There is less of a need to underline rank –
Meda explains. – The evolutions in progress
have broken up the balance of the old
office, with its clear distinction between
operative, managerial and visitor seating,
where the visitors had seats in tune with the
corporate image, but clearly different from
the ‘small thrones’ of the upper echelons.
Today everything tends to be more uniform,
eliminating distinctions of rank, because the
office has lost its character as a private
place, and opens up to multiple uses. In
informal settings – furnished with sit-stand
tables, for example, ready for use as
personal desks or teamwork tables, also for
working while standing – seating becomes
a functional tool to put all the people on the
same level.”
The motor of aesthetic choices
In a context where seating plays a leading
role, and can be deployed in similar
versions in private offices, meeting rooms
or reception areas, design has to respond
to a growing number of requirements,
coordinating functional quality, technology
and creativity. But what are the latest stylistic
trends? How has demand evolved, and in
which direction is the design of new seating
headed? We asked Håg, a Norwegian firm
specializing in office seating, and a front
runner in terms of technological and stylistic
innovation. According to Marianne Sylthe
Solli, VP for business development GPO &
Asia, Christian Lodgaard, VP products and
brands and design manager Øystein Austad,
“unconventional work areas are blending
with traditional spaces, as in the cases of
lobbies, dining rooms, cafes, outdoor zones.
The way the office landscape is designed
has changed, though the design of furniture
has not kept pace. Aesthetics continues to
prevail over functional considerations. So as
manufacturers we have to demonstrate that
it is possible to develop furnishings that are
functional, flexible and aesthetically
appealing at the same time. Specifically, the
design of seating has to simplify complexity
and expand the options for tailor-made
products that are ready to adapt to different
situations, while remaining inside an
industrial logic. Sturdiness and timeless
design are fundamental characteristics to
ensure long life. The most successful
products will be the ones that can combine
all these characteristics with competitive
pricing and intuitive use.”
The design of new products is also
influenced by the focus on sustainability, a
mature trend at the point also in the field of
seating. The factors involved are research
on recyclable or recycled materials,
reduction of weight and number of parts, as
well as the effort to make the life cycle as
long as possible through the design of
functional and versatile elements.
“To be ecologically sustainable we have to
apply materials and processes that reduce
the environmental impact of products as
much as possible,” they say at Håg. “To
achieve this goal high-quality materials are
used, avoiding chrome and adhesives, and
whenever possible the choice goes to
recycled materials. Design attempts to find
solutions with parts that are easy to
dismantle and recover at the end of the
product’s life cycle. The objective is to
constantly challenge the standard in this
sector, aware of the fact that in the near
future sustainability will be an indispensable
Grace
di
Sitland
è una seduta con imbottiture
anatomiche per un alto livello di comfort. Disponibile
con rivestimenti in pelle o in tessuti lavorati con
tecniche artigianali e sartoriali, in quattro modelli:
executive, manager, meeting e lounge chair
Forme ellittiche tronco coniche caratterizzano le
sedute
Elipse
di
Talin
, disponibili in diverse
varianti: dalle versioni small con o senza
schienali, alle large. Realizzate utilizzando
materie prime rimuovibili per la riclabilità e lo
smaltimento dei vari componenti
Il nuovo sgabello sit-stand di
Varier
è stato
progettato dallo studio Sigsgaard secondo il
principio base della sella equestre, che offre un
angolo molto ampio fra tronco e gambe