Marcel Sigel | 2O2O
Marcel Sigel
When Australian Marcel Sigel was named Best Young
Designer by Wallpaper in 2004, he was just starting out
with the multidisciplinary Zuii design studio in Melbourne.
Nowadays Marcel is based in London, but frequently works in
Sydney too. Working with clients around the world, he is often
intrigued by everyday objects and how they can be improved.
There is certain lightness to his designs, which are inspired by
slender, almost woven textile strips, but he might also go for
solid, strongly coloured, playful furniture.
You must have a dream project?
“Of course, I’d love to work with design in space. Imagine
no gravity! That gives you a totally different set of parameters,
and I love design briefs confined by reality.”
Why are you in love with Scandinavian design?
“It has a feeling to it that’s hardly a conscious thing, it’s not
overly commercial and I can relate to the simplicity and
honesty in form. I want to work along the same path: nothing
unnecessary and thorough attention to detail.”
STILL LIFE
Creating a chair all in wood might seem an easy design task.
Find the right angle for the back. Allow for a seat with a firm
roundness. And then a functional yet aesthetically pleasing
construction. But that’s not enough to render a chair unique yet
timeless. Marcel Sigel masters all of the above, and fully meets
the challenge with an iconic twist to the backrest.
Although the ash veneered birch wood is extremely bent at the
ends, the wood seems to flow effortlessly like a strip of cloth.
Or rather a piece of cloth frozen in time. And suddenly there is
expressive character, a distinguishing uniqueness that renders
Still Life familiar yet innovatively singular. Perfect for public
spaces like coffee shops, bistros… and certainly at home.
Still Life
“It’s all about exploiting technology to its limits and pushing the
materials to extremes. The final product doesn’t scream for
attention; it’s a simple, ordinary-looking chair, familiar yet unique
– and of course super-comfy!” Marcel Sigel
