by officeinsight staff and contributors
As the dust from NeoCon 2015 settles, we at officeinsight are excited to continue a long-standing tradition of offering readers our “Delights of NeoCon.” For people who attended this year’s show, we hope this issue reminds you of the things – products, parties, seminars and more – that made NeoCon 2015 special for you. And for our readers who were unable to attend, we hope to bring an insider’s peak into the things and people that caught our eye throughout the show.
Arriving on Saturday this year, we were looking forward to seeing “River Drive Park” for ourselves. It’s the new green space in the south drive-through where the trucks used to park. Since we thought the truck parking was getting tired, we liked the idea of a nice outdoor spot for a bit of a battery recharge. As it turned out, Saturday was one of the best days to enjoy the space. The park is a terrific addition to the Merchandise Mart and an important symbolic statement of Vornado’s investment intentions for the venerable building.
Each year, more companies are scheduling press walkthroughs and briefings on Sunday afternoon and evening. We’d be delighted to attend them all, but unfortunately we have to choose. The Steelcase press gathering is always interesting because before the walkthrough, they have a presentation on the big ideas circulating through the industry and report on their own research. As usual, Christine Congdon, Editor of 360o Magazine did a great job of hosting the gathering and moderating a panel consisting of James Ludwig, vice president of design, Gale Moutrey, vice president of communications, and Allan Smith, vice president of global marketing wherein they discussed some of the emerging brain science knowledge concerning the effects of workspace design on brain function. If you haven’t already done so, we recommend picking up a copy of latest edition of 360o Magazine, entitled “Think Better.”
At Teknion, we were treated to a tour by Teknion Studio President Charlie Bell. He introduced us to Toan Nguyen of Toan Nguyen Studio, Milan, the designer of Infinito lounge and the Masalla Tables. The pair enchanted us with the story behind these two gorgeous but highly rational products.
HBF’s Sunday press gathering sent us around to speak face-to-face with the designers of each of the company’s new products; it turned out to be a real treat because we got a great inside scoop on many of the HBF’s Best of NeoCon award winners. More on this later!
Come Monday morning, the halls of every show floor were unbelievably packed. We dove right into the fun, spoke with some amazing people, and succeeded in finding a plethora of contract furnishings that inspire.
Andreu World, the furniture manufacturer from Valencia, Spain, earned four 2015 Best of NeoCon awards by showing a superb mix of thoughtful, refined furniture pieces. While heavy workplace strategy research might not be the company’s core focus, it succeeded in its goal of finding gaps in the market’s current product offerings and forming solutions to differentiate from those already existing ones. Beat, although clearly fun-spirited and one of many companies’ similar offerings, somehow gives off an air of sophistication. The ottoman/side chair can be used in combination with other pieces to create a cozy, inviting space. Available in three sizes and a variety of fabrics and leather options, the piece provides designers a diversity of aesthetics to play with.
Reverse Occassional, an expansion of Andreu World’s Reverse table collection, incorporates wire management and power connectivity into a sleek, contemporary occasional table. The Patricia Urquiola-designed Nub armchair and lounger collection expanded this year to include a new rocking chair variation. The design is perfect for both residentially inspired common areas and nursery themed spaces for workplaces that offer daycare and nursing room amenities.
Other introductions include the Couve sofa and seating collection and the Flex Executive chair collection, designed by Italian Piergiorgio Cazzaniga. Architecturally conveying natural style and warmth, the Couve collection will add a refined twist to corporate, residential or hospitality projects worldwide. The Flex Executive seating line brings a sleek European sensibility to the office or home.
The Tuohy showroom welcomed us with its spare elegant styling, designed by Bernard Tuohy. Tuohy’s WorkStyles, an adaptable casegoods system with integrated lounge compatability won Best of Competition and Best of NeoCon Gold. Featuring keen details like leather or suede drawer pulls, creative filing and storage options, and a wide variety of finishes and colors, WorkStyles is designed to allow executives to seamlessly switch from group problem solving to individually focused work modes.
Although we discussed the origins of Tuohy WorkStyles in last week’s Best of NeoCon issue, we didn’t really touch on the delightful occasional table that is a part of WorkStyles (or not – if you’d like to use it separately). The design and engineering team worked out an elegantly simple tube-in-a-tube swivel mechanism that allows the individual layers to pivot smoothly and effortlessly, but with an extraordinary degree of stability. We also loved the Coda table by Jess Sorel shown in a sleek finish of back-painted glass with a steel-mirror finish. It provided an ultra modern look, warmed by the touch and feel of glass.
We found three themes in the Steelcase showroom this year: Power in Place, Cognitive Well Being and the Intelligent Office. The emphasis was on supporting all types of worker’s needs for peak performance.
One of the most outstanding product launches of the show was the Steelcase Brody Lounge Collection. Winner of a Best of NeoCon Gold award, Brody is a well-designed solution to meet the needs of “helping people to think better,” providing privacy and quietude at various levels of adjustment and comfort. By embedding a truly ergonomic seat and thoughtfully designing a work top for the user’s electronic device, no matter which one it is, Brody provides greatly improved ergonomics to those of us who like to work that way. By “layering” the options for privacy screens they’ve made Brody affordable for a broad audience. It’s a beautiful product, reminiscent somewhat of first class airline seat/beds. There is also a private office version, for individuals who simply like cocooning.
Thread is an extremely low profile electrical wiring system designed to easily bring power to wherever it’s needed. Thread installs beneath carpeting and alleviates the need to core (drill) concrete flooring. It features a range of power modules to provide power at multiple heights. What a money saver! It’s available to order now.
Divisio– is not a new product this year, but the Steelcase folks were showing this fabric-covered work surface divider- loaded with a new concept to intrigue us.
The new idea is to be able to provide subtle communication, via intelligent sensors and signals, which address social and cognitive needs in the open office environment. These can be pre-programmed by the client to include (among other things): letting you know if the space is available (and if so, for how long) and to warn you if you are talking too loudly. Ideal for hoteling/ free address areas. Discreet!
Anyone who has worked in a benching or open office desking environment will want to know more about this product. If Steelcase gets enough interest, they’ll consider introducing it. We’re interested!
On the seventh floor, we came across a gigantic showroom belonging to Koleksiyon, the Turkish company making a major entry into the North American market. Koray Malhan, director of design at Koleksiyon, gave us the tour and admitted that his design for the Oblivion Workspace, on display on the first floor, was not for everybody, but is definitely an icon! We were impressed by the confident resolve of the management team led by Basar Bilgin as they start down the difficult road of building a brand on this side of the of the Mediterranean, not to mention the Atlantic!
Next door to Koleksiyon, we found the equally large and very impressive showroom of idesk, where Carl Gustav Magnusson designed the temporary space and most of the products. In just over two years, the prolific Mr. Magnusson has assembled a whole company of cool products with the help of such international designers as Claudio Bellini and H.Y. Huang. Based on the reactions to the new brand we observed at NeoCon, it appears that owner Frank Lin has scored another major win.
On floors seven and eight, typically floors that showcase new and innovative design ideas, many of the companies exhibiting are startups. Far from a startup is Corning, a world-leading manufacturer of specialty glass and ceramics. Their latest keystone component is called Fibrance, and it is truly innovative. Fibrance Light-Diffusing Fiber enables decorative lighting to be designed or embedded into tight spaces where larger lighting elements cannot fit. This fiber is small, thin, and nearly invisible when the light source is off. The flexibility and tight-bend capability of the fiber allows it to curve, wrap, or contour around objects while maintaining bright, colorful, and uniform light. “Fibrance Light-Diffusing Fiber maintains the bend performance of our data-transmission fiber, but instead of transmitting data, it emits vibrant, continuous light,” said Paul Then, commercial technology director for advanced optics at Corning.
Another industry leader making a splash at NeoCon this year was E*ink, known primarily for the display technology in select digital tablets, but new to the interiors industry. This product, which is perfect for interior or exterior use, is a binary color system that runs on extremely low power, but attracts a lot of attention. Using no backlighting, the E*ink Ink-In-Motion display is good for interiors or outside and can be easily viewed from almost any angle and under virtually any lighting condition. Flexible and UV resistant, this product is affordable and very much fun.
Bona fide local startup Semios Studios was showing Hatch Acoustical System, a sound-deadening and sustainable ceiling element ideal for open plan spaces and conference rooms alike. Designed and delivered as an easy to assemble and install turnkey solution, Hatch enhances a room’s form and performance thanks to an innovative construction system and precision cut design that can significantly upgrade any open interior. For challenging design projects, Hatch can be custom fit into any specialty ceiling application. Semios Studios’ NeoCon booth boasted a system that can be custom-tuned to the acoustics of each room; the folks at the booth also noted that their waffle construction method allows up-to-code sprinkler penetration, which eliminates plumbing revisions and permit hassles.
Nucraft debuted its Two4Six Collection, which aims to blur the line between the private office and collaborative space. The collection includes two distinct, yet related lines of individual private office solutions and meeting room furniture for two to six participants. Visitors to the Nucraft showroom experienced a number of configuration possibilities within the collection; the versatility of the lines is phenomenal.
Bentley delighted again this year with a magnetic showroom design that earned a Best of NeoCon – Best Small Showroom award for the second year in a row. This year’s “Born and Raised” showroom, part of a return-to-heritage exploration, reflects back to the brand’s roots in the early 1980’s L.A. punk rock scene. The time-travel showroom experience transported attendees back to true Bentley music/fashion fusion with walls full of punk records, club lighting and music to match.
In Trance and Magnetism, Bentley’s two new broadloom and carpet tile products, soft geometrics radiate with a palette of sophisticated neutrals. Trance utilizes mixed denier yarns and luster levels to create a nubby texture that is enchanting and magical. Available in tile and broadloom, Trance is an all-over chunky yet soft and understated texture. Magnetism, available in tile only, combines Trance’s wide stripe with a lower profile companion stripe to form its random, asymmetrical pattern.
Herman Miller beckoned us by exhibiting virtually all its seating lines, from classic Eames to the latest task chairs, in a frenzy of color and magnitude at the front of the showroom. The display was a nice bit of proof that Herman Miller is indeed the leading producer of contemporary seating. Once inside the showroom, we felt the Best Large Showroom award won by Herman Miller was well deserved. The ceiling treatment was a wonder, and this year, after a few years of too much talk and not enough show, HM got the display of the “Living Office” to a level the rest of us could understand. We were happy to find a much more concrete exploration of the Living Office concept, which was shown largely through graphic and digital displays last year. The showroom design effort paid off in more ways than one, as the jury awarded Herman Miller the “Best Large Showroom.”
Although this was not the first year the Locale workstation was featured at NeoCon, including it’s height adjustable table capabilities, the product is finally able to be ordered for projects, supposedly as a much more affordable option than many other height adjustable systems. Small details like the light-up table lever will sway clients toward this product.
Metaform, designed by Studio 7.5 out of Berlin and previewed each of the last two years, officially launched at NeoCon this year. It’s a unique way to delineate space, create diverse settings or set a visual stage with expanded polypropylene (EPP) blocks. Metaform can be entirely user built and reconfigured, and is designed to create a richly textured environment. Also available to designers is software to use with 3D printers to make their own accouterments, such as pencil cups. Metaform remains a favorite of ours for creative teams with major reconfiguration needs and room for displaying lots of output – whether prototypes or layouts. While it is definitely a niche product, it is still years ahead of anything else we’ve seen for these demanding applications.
At Geiger, the Naoto Ukasawa-designed Saiba chair comes in three back heights and will tastefully glide into any C-Suite office, boardroom or conference room. It’s comfortable and timeless. And, since Geiger is well known for their sleekly stitched upholstery (some of the best in our industry), Saiba offers invisible zippers for upholstery removal. Details.
New textiles were also added to the Geiger textile line: Milaner and Capri, designed by Bassamfellows, blend rich natural fibers with artisanal techniques for rich upholstery. Amy Pisansky, national textile sales manager, has led the charge to enhance and broaden Geiger’s fabric offerings.
At its eighth floor booth, rendering software company Configura wowed visitors with demos of its Virtual Reality for CET Designer. The virtual reality extension, likely to launch in the fall of 2015, allows both designers and end user clients alike to test-drive a space by virtually walking around in a rendering. Designers can make changes on the fly as a user donning Oculus Rift glasses glides through the office, controlled by remote control or joystick.
Configura also announced its new partnership with furniture manufacturer OFS Brands to develop a CET Designer Extension for OFS Brands’ product lines. The new extension will allow CET Designer software users to incorporate OFS Brands furniture into their specification proposals and renderings.
Danish furniture manufacturer HOWE debuted SixE Learn, a charming chair designed to facilitate active learning environments. The chair won a much-deserved Best of NeoCon Silver award in the education solutions category for its thoughtful design details, including a swivel base allowing for mobility and effortless shift of configurations and purpose during a lesson; a personal work surface with built-in storage for laptop/tablet or paper; free space for moving legs underneath the seat; and practical attributes such as a cup holder and bag hook.
HBF‘s showroom, which was designed last year by designer and architect Travis Clifton and refreshed this year with help from Two by Four, gave the well-respected product line definition and international sizzle, and was a delight to visit.
HBF garnered five Best of NeoCon awards. Led by Kevin Stark, HNI’s vice president of design, the company launched many new products to be proud of. Mr. Stark’s Carlyle Seating line exudes a refined sense of elegance. The Andaz seating line by Todd Bracher got our attention with light fluid lines, material diversity and functional stackability.
The Cheval Table and Bench Collection, designed by Woot Speyers from Holland, is a multi-functional bench seating and table system with a spare, sculptural wood base and saddle-like leather design features. Classically beautiful, it’s destined for public spaces, museums, airports and a wide variety of other commercial applications.
The Parker Table by Travis Clifton offers a range of material choices for the inset top, which is sleek, elegant and unsullied by power bays. Electrical access is tucked tastefully away, below on the supporting beam. This versatile table can be used in conference rooms, as an occasional table, console and coffee table.
HBF Textiles, displayed with the flavor of a French atelier, were eloquent. Erin Ruby’s new textile collection featured innovative weaves and yarn combinations, combined with pulling in innovative natural materials (such as Cork Cloth). Inspirational fashion photos and fabrics draped on tall wooden racks lent an authentic feel to the new branding and refreshed line of classics.
Mockett at the Mart?
Yes, indeed! On floor seven, Mockett’s oversized space showed examples of their many pop-up power and charging options. From wildly playful to discreet, it was interesting to see what was new and innovative, and to try out the various options available.
Across the street from the Merchandise Mart, Kimball Office and Studio O+A teamed up to create a living laboratory of Studio O+A’s 10 typologies. Each of the typologies was displayed using new and existing Kimball Office products dressed to kill in the latest a la silicon valley fabrics. Everything was designed, considered and coordinated with the new Kimball Office brand. (“Curated,” to use Mr. Orpilla’s word).
Two of our favorite new products were Pairings, designed by Pam Light and John Duffy, and Canopy, designed by Studio O+A.
Upstairs at 325 N. Wells, DIRTT announced its entry into residential construction, and spectacularly displayed several very homey rooms with ceilings, walls, doors and accoutrements constructed entirely of DIRTT components. The rationale is that changing the interior construction of a house should be as easy and economical as such change in an office or healthcare facility.
We were particularly impressed with the new high-resolution graphics displayed, combining the latest large scale, hi-rez printing on the back of a new ultra-thin Corning glass that becomes the surface of a DIRTT panel skin.
Showing off its latest technological advance, visitors were invited to experience ICE VR, which combines DIRTT’s proprietary 3D interior design and specification software with Oculus Rift gaming goggles and Polhemus motion tracking sensors. With skillfully placed physical props, the line between true life and virtual reality becomes blurred; users can walk into a hospital patient room, for example, and physically sit on a bed – though all they may see is the virtual version. As mentioned above, this also means clients and stakeholders can actually walk through and explore their space during the design and planning process. Users can fully experience the feel of their space, especially in terms of proportion, or the difference between a 10′ or 15′ office space.
We had a blast at the “DIRTT Bag Blues Bar”, (our name for it, not theirs). What had been a striking showroom only moments before quickly transformed into a deep down and DIRTTy blues bar in the middle of the afternoon! Featuring a terrific Chicago Blues quartet.
The Haworth showroom, designed by architect and designer Patricia Urquiola, reflected Ms. Urquiola’s intelligent warmth and passionate use of color. Strewn about were her handmade cross carpets, and she also co-created an interactive art piece using her new double level table at the front of the showroom. Tucked away in a small room that happened to open on to the mail hallway, the installation featured a motion-activated table surface and a living ceiling. Of course we’ve heard of living walls before, but the concept of an overhead space that was overflowing with leaves and plants was a whole other take on commercial place-making. Our impression was that this is not planned to be running product, but if Haworth doesn’t run with this idea, another manufacturer is sure to follow suit one day.
Haworth has always been clever when considering whom to purchase to enhance its Michigan-based global furniture company. When it purchased Poltrana Frau, the umbrella company of Cassina and Cappellini, it acquired the rights to the Le Corbusier (Jenneret Perriand) line of furniture. Featured this year was the original Le Corbusier chair, along with a sofa that came out with the initial offering in 1928. Most interesting was that Haworth decided to show these classic beauties in their original finishes, not polished steel (or chrome) as we’ve come to identify with them. The Haworth team also made a few dimensional changes to make the pieces more relevant for today’s audience. These are available now through the Haworth Collection.
Ms. Urquiola also served as the Monday morning keynote speaker and delivered a passionate, freeform opening to NeoCon 2015. Born and raised in Spain, Ms. Urquiola emigrated to Italy to study architecture and design, bringing along a sense of curiosity and wonder and, of course, her delightful sense of humor. Ms. Urquiola called on the audience to engage in fearless creative exploration, to be ever curious, and to never fear passionately delving into new territories with abandon.
Through her work and life, Ms. Urquiola has consistently reached far out of her comfort zone, and playfully referred to this as “breaking her prejudices – When you’re in a comfort zone, it’s not enough. And you need to do something crazy.” She noted that, when asked to work on something she never thought she’d want to do, to her own surprise, she’s discovered new artistic expression and joy. Indeed, she has engaged with a staggeringly wide range of clients in both the architectural and product design realms of her work. “We must take chances by working with people, products, materials and cultures that we’re not familiar with,” said Ms. Urquiola. “It’s complicated, but worth it. We must be open.”
Officeinsight staffers also found showstopper quality in the endless list of NeoCon seminars, fit sporadically into our schedules between showroom visits. We were pleased to find some diamonds in the rough, as most of the sessions we attended this year proved both intellectually enlightening and entertaining.
At the Revealing Colors of the Future for Contract seminar, Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Institute of Color, introduced attendees to a collection of eight palettes that will define the future season of color for contract furniture. Titled Reveal, the collection of palettes ranges from simple, honest and unassuming to much more saturated, vivid tones, bridged together seamlessly. Many of the colors featured in these palettes champion the technology that many textile companies are using to create textiles that are light and airy, but still hold up.
Smart Textiles for Modern Environments, by Deb Barrett, founder and principal of Window Dressings, took a deep dive into the vast world of technological advancements in which textiles are now created. The seminar was the most wildly comprehensive fabric crash-course we’ve seen!
Gensler duo Sven Govaars and Dean Strombom made their fifth NeoCon seminar appearance with Vuja De: Disruptive Workplace, an excellent session which explored the behaviors, challenges and solutions behind interior design-focused change management.
Stay tuned for extended coverage of 2015 NeoCon seminars in future officeinsight issues!
The much-anticipated West Elm Workspace with Inscape showroom did not disappoint, bursting with a beautiful array of many of its 75+ product introductions. The new collaboration earned Best of NeoCon Gold and Editors’ Choice awards for its West Elm Workspace Bench Collection, which, along with its private office, lounge, lighting and accessory products, perfectly encapsulates the residential-contract fusion now happening in the contract world. The collection includes lines with Industrial, Modern, Mid-Century and Contemporary inspirations, and features Designtex textiles created specifically for the project.
Davis is the design purists’ darling of NeoCon. The Davis team and Bob Bazemore find new and intriguing ways to prove that less is more every year. This year, the soft colors, muted tones and minimalist lines of the furniture created an exceptionally fine ambiance…even for Davis. We love the Ginkgo Lounge, the A Chair and Jonathan Prestwich’s Linq Chair. The design team used last year’s big winner Modo, to accentuate and articulate the lovely lines of the several products paired with it; demonstrating its flexibility in the process.
A lot of worthy buzz was flying around at Knoll, which debuted several new products worth mention. The Prism Lounge collection by David Adjaye, and the Adjaye Collection by David Adjaye for KnollTextiles continued a blossoming collaboration with Mr. Adjaye. Prism Lounge includes a club chair, an ottoman and a side table, and explores 21st Century sculptural forms. The textiles collection displays “Adjaye’s unique perspective on geometric and organic systems, which is translated through varied weave structures and print techniques. The end result is an extraordinary range of patterns and textures inspired by African geography, nature, and culture, as well as objects and textiles from the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum,” according to the product information.
Also noteworthy at Knoll were the debuts of Horsepower and Pop Up, both by Antenna Design. Pop Up provides instantly adjustable space delineation, privacy and enclosure for primary and shard spaces, and Horsepower provides users with a place to sit and recharge, a structure for whiteboards and video displays to connect to, and an efficient technology channel defining group workspaces.
Interface earns our Delight for its imaginative showroom alone. While this year’s showrooms across the board were highly propped and stylized, Interface took stylization to a new level by creating three or four whimsical, all-encompassing experiences in which the carpet flooring took an understated, natural form. Inspired by intersections, the new cobblestone-like Equal Measure collection features an irregular geometric pattern that, when employed in neutral tones, “quietly underscores your design.”
At Keilhauer, Wheels caught attention not only for its hyper mobility, but also for its bright orange extension cord, included on a round powered table. The seven-piece collection of mobile seating and tables is designed to support an idea lab, inspired by Building 20, a structure erected on the MIT campus during WWII that was known as a “magical incubator” because of the fundamental advances in physics made there. The design intention of the table was never to obscure the cord, but rather build it into the form as an integral, whimsical part of the aesthetic. The Keilhauer showroom this year was a fun departure from last year’s zen vibes with its 2014 introductions of Lo cushion seating and Syz table. Wheels and 2015 Best of NeoCon Innovation award winner Chemistry captured an abrupt, youthful spirit that focuses on disrupting a space’s walls with mobility driving the charge.
The Vitra showroom delighted us with Hack, a bare-bones table system of almost anti-furniture designed by Konstantin Grcic (previously introduced at Orgatec). Fabricated from plywood, the office-in-a-box creation is the result of a collaborative design effort among Grcic, Vitra and several Silicon Valley tech firms. With a raw wooden look, Hack presents an unfinished aesthetic at first glance, but when put to use by a young coder at a tech firm, it is sure to take on a life of its own.Vitra also introduced Hella Jongerius’ East River Chair (used in the United Nations) and a sleek folding table from the Super Fold Table Collection by Jasper Morrison. Flexibility in the work environment was a recurring theme. The showroom even featured a rotating re-design set to music every few hours – a new showroom experience at the blink of an eye!
At Mohawk Group, the Iconic Earth collection, and Moving Floors collection, designed in collaboration with Martin Lesjak of 13&9 Design, signaled a shift away from the artfully wild, “anything is possible” designs of previous years, and toward a sophistication achieved through subtle textural elements, metallic-infused materials, and limitless patterning options.
3form’s debut of its permanent Merch Mart space on the 10th floor did not disappoint, and neither did its products. Full Circle Metallics, inspired by the colors and textures of Indonesia, earned Best of NeoCon Silver in the surfacing materials/finishes category. Gild, inspired by the use of traditional gold foiling, and Glint Distressed, with a linear patterning of precious metals and luxurious fibers, each achieve exquisite form, and their presentation in the showroom was flawless.
At OFS Brands, we ran into, Bill Schacht and Lynda Chesser of CSD Studio. Mr. Schacht designed the previously launched and very delightful Madrid Lounge for OFS, and this year they collaborated on swivel chair options for the executive office and conference room. We love the Madrid lounge and think it’s a great idea to expand the line. Ms. Chesser designed last year’s award winning Slate freestanding casegoods system. This year, she designed extensions and enhancements to the line that take it into the private office.
Also at OFS Brands, we tried out a wireless device for charging smart phones and other electronic devices. It’s embedded in the top, and some devices work with no other add-ons. Our iPhone required a plug-in adapter. The idea of wireless charging stations was also on display elsewhere at the show.
Last year, OFS Brands had the world’s most beautiful Ping-Pong table on display. This year, the company chose to show off its super smooth wood finishing capabilities by making a fabulous shuffleboard. Some of us (not all) think it would be great if the OFS shuffleboard displaced the ubiquitous foosball tables of the coder clans.
The Decca Contract and Élan showroom dazzled and drew showgoers in with massive displays of intricate, highly unusual veneer layups. These are not your “standard” veneer patterns. Indeed, the showroom, which is a collaboration of design by Brian Graham of Graham Design in San Francisco and Bill Grant of the Grant Design Collaborative in Atlanta, dares you to see how far their “Nothing is Standard” theme will take you when it comes to designing a highly personalized C-Suite area. With a combination of craft, innovation (we loved the LED lights tucked away tastefully under book shelves) and luxurious materials, various executive office vignettes were shown in artful and creative ways: the “Creative Executive,” the “Executive Commons” and the “Modern Attorney”. Each one illustrated fresh and original takes on storage and personalization tools.
Introduced this year, the Bing Collection by David Ritch and Mark Saffell features seating with a modern silhouette, available in three different back heights and a variety of materials and options for bases.
Designed by Brian Graham, the Ratio Table celebrates classic farm tables with a modern, clean twist. A photo of it should be next to the word elegant in the dictionary.
Luna Textiles drew us in with their spare beautiful jewel box of a showroom. This year’s fabrics were displayed as fashion accessories, emphasizing the style and beauty this San Francisco-based company is known for.
Italian-based Arper introduced their newest chair, Kinesit. Clean, light and minimal in design, it features a fully adjustable seat and back, with a built-in seat height adjustment, tucked discreetly under the seat. It’s one of the simplest, cleanest lines we’ve seen and available in three different back heights.
We met up with design legend Brian Kane over at Thos. Moser as he was showing the new Cooper Chair he developed with the manufacturer; the chair is the first piece in the Thos. Moser portfolio created specifically for corporate office environments. Its shell is the sum of individual steam-bent and shaped solid wood pieces coopered and joined to become a single back form for the chair. This unique process employs both hi-tech computerized machining and skilled handwork.
“Cooper is a solid representation of how craft and design can be united for the sake of quality, regardless of market or scale of the project,” said Mr. Kane.
Each shell is handmade by a skilled craftsman at the Thos. Moser workshop in Maine, and each chair is assembled and signed as a seal of quality. These heirloom pieces may not be for everyone in corporate America today, but no one can deny the design is stunning.
Sedia Systems featured the JumpSeat 90. With real estate costs increasing this is a great product to tuck in wherever needed. Freestanding units are available, as are an entire line of auditorium seating. The seating lays flat vertically when not in use, and has a fun “pop-slam” sound when a person stands up out of the seat. Sedia Systems’ showroom graphics proved a perfect complement.
Finland-based Framery made its debut at NeoCon on floor seven, and we had a delightful chat with Samu Halfors, the founder of Framery and designer of the Best Of NeoCon Gold winner in the Technology Support category, Framery 0. This phone booth for cell phones is eerily quiet and boasts customizable details and finishes. It succeeds in offering a quiet place to take phone calls or to simply think, far from the hustle and bustle of a noisy office environment (or trade show floor).
At KI we felt as if we received the royal treatment. But maybe that was how everybody felt. The 3D movement of the Sway Chair elicited most of the excitement, but for us the Doni Seating, from the hand of the master Giancarlo Piretti, was delightful. Dick Resch told us that every product in the showroom had been designed developed and launched within the last five years. It is truly the new KI.
The Remo chair at ICF, designed by Konstantin Grcic and manufactured by Plank, also caught our eye for its snappy design and bright pop of color. Available as a pull-up with bent plywood legs, as well as a stacker with metal legs, its stylish and versatile. Mr. Grcic suggests it for restaurants, bistros or even as a kitchen chair.
At BuzziSpace, the colors were bright and the products were hot. This year, BuzziFalls was awarded a Best of NeoCon Gold award for their take on creative felt-based space division. BuzziBreeze was introduced as a picnic table for indoor or outdoor office collaboration. What a fun way to inject color and fun into the work environment!
Arcadia and Encore were awash with new introductions. We particularly like the Infinium Collection of lounge/collaborative seating pieces designed by Michael Bemis, but the showstopper was QDesign’s Co-op. It is a dramatic café style banquette with variable privacy screens going from normal seating height all the way to overarching cover.
The Global showroom was a delight. It was bright and airy, full of people and buzz. If Global is one of the leaders of the mid-market segment, something has happened to the mid-market – it has seemingly gone significantly upscale! Not only was the showroom design excellent; all the new products met the highest standards for design content and quality. We particularly liked River, a collaborative lounge series with all the usual privacy variations and some unusually accessible power and data options.
Tucked in a mock training room toward the back of the Global showroom we found a nest of 2gether Tables. Some of us are old hands at training table design and manufacturing and we’ve never seen any better. It’s not a new idea, but 2gether executes it extremely well.
Walking by the entrance to the Okamura showroom, we were gobsmacked by the seemingly endless span and nearly invisibly thin top of the Traverse Table. Apparently the Best of NeoCon judges were gobsmacked too, as Okamura and HOK Product Design were rewarded for their effort with a Best of NeoCon Gold award in the Conference Room Furniture category. It is a real tour de force.
The Coalesse Design Studio from San Francisco designed this year’s Coalesse showroom, a fresh departure from the 2014 space. Coalesse celebrated a range of thoughtfully crafted furnishings, informed by insights and driven by design. The FourOneFive_CO Table Collection (a play on the area code for San Francisco), designed by the Coalesse Design Studio, was shown to huge advantage as one 32-foot long table topped in Corian, providing a tasteful anchor to the showroom space. The Corian surface is only one way to get the seamless look, no matter the length of the table; a new material from Italy will feature patterns and wood grains in a seamless manner as well. Supports span 10 feet underneath this elegant creature. How did they get something that size into the Mart? The Corian came in eight-foot sections, which were then welded together onsite. The table appeared seamless. Simple and elegant lighting is incorporated into the table, and power access is located in covered bays lined with felt.
The Hans Wegner-designed CH445 Wing Chair was prominently displayed at the Coalesse showroom, as well as next door at the whimsical but beautiful DesignTex showroom. We were delighted by the counterpoint of appreciating the sculptural form of this design classic at Coalesse and then carefully studying how the new textiles dress up this icon of design at Designtex.
And finally, one last Delight we absolutely must report on is the Chicago Blackhawks’ exciting Stanley Cup Championship win on Monday evening. It seemed a fitting backdrop to another great NeoCon. The next day marker boards in dozens of showrooms at the Mart sported Hawks love and victorious cheers of support. Hawks win!
We’re happy to say that the show proved an overwhelming success, and we’re excited to continue hunting through these new products in the coming months to bring officeinsight readers in-depth coverage of the most innovative solutions coming out this year.