Bla Station: BOB, 3 20

B
Is it possible to allow for maximum flexibility with a minimum of components at a
reasonable price? Bob can be built short or long, with just a couple or a lot of modules.
Each of the five different modules are a mere 26 cm in width, which turns Bob into an
easily understood and extremely flexibly modular sofa system. Make it straight, add
a hairpin turn, or let the caterpillar-like formations flow in gentle rhythmical curves.
Where ordinary sofas are usually rectangular, square and predictable, Bob offers an
architectonic freedom to either challenge or adhere to all types of spaces. Without
any “back” side, Bob faces all directions beautifully, providing even more possibilities
for ever-changing interior design architecture. The straightforward construction requires
a minimum of maintenance: a frame in FSC-certified plywood with a sturdy yet soft
mould of foam, and a wide selection of fabrics and colours.
Johan Lindau, CEO and design manager of Blå Station, has once again challenged
two of Sweden’s most renowned designers, Stefan Borselius and Thomas Bernstrand
to collaborate – and even more intimately this time – than with their former success,
Experiment 15, which resulted in Honken, Poppe and Morris JR.
‘You can easily get stuck on details when you work alone’, say Thomas Bernstrand
and Stefan Borselius in unison. ‘We work faster together when we can switch roles,
taking turns at leaning back to take in the big picture, or immersing ourselves in the
details.’ Logistics and production handling are obviously of paramount importance.
‘We cut and adjusted a volume in styrofoam in Stefan’s studio until the height and
depth was spot on’, says Thomas Bernstrand. ‘Then we rotated it until it fitted perfectly
on a Euro pallet.’ The final result is a compact volume for transport, with each module
being easy to handle both in the factory and on site. ‘Sit on the back of the sofa, or
deep down in it; you will be sitting comfortably regardless’, says Stefan Borselius, and
continues: ‘Enter the floor plan into the computer and let Bob flow through space with
simple or complex forms. Email the order to Blå Station, and you will get a tailored
delivery directly from the factory’.