Design and
Engineering
The starting point of this project was a specific manufacturing method: cast iron. It
is one of the oldest ways of using ferrous metals. The manufacturing process has a
physicality and rawness which is almost archaic. Iron foundries are heavy industries.
Even though cast iron is widely known for its ornate and decorative applications, such
as in Victorian-era garden furniture, the material has two distinctive characteristics:
it is heavy, and it is strong. Cast iron performs well under compression, which is why
it is used as a structural material for building bridges and, closer to the scale of
furniture, bases for heavy machinery.
It is this use of cast iron which has inspired this collection designed by Konstantin
Grcic. The project makes reference to cast iron’s typical industrial uses and applies its
material grammar to the realm of contemporary furniture.
The name stands for raw and untreated. A solid piece of iron, heavy and
uncompromising. But Brut also calls to mind the sweetness of sparkling wine, which
speaks of refinement and sophistication, which is also inherent to our project.
With its original, fresh, feisty style, it encapsulates a sense of function and aesthetics
that speaks volumes about the era we are living in, and it is instantly likeable, leaving
people with a clear memory both of it and of the place where they saw it.
The Brut collection consists of a rectangular table, a height-adjustable trestle
table, a round table, a small bistro table, two kinds of benches, as well as an armchair
and a two or three-seater sofa.
