ARCHITECT ANNA VON SCHEWEN AND INDUSTRIAL
DESIGNER BJÖRN DAHLSTRÖM ARE A MARRIED
COUPLE WHO WORK TOGETHER AND APART. FOR
STRING FURNITURE THEY DESIGNED THE OFFICE
RANGE WORKS AND EXTENDED THE STRING
SYSTEM AND STRING POCKET BY CREATING
NEW PARTS AND CLEVER ACCESSORIES. THANKS
TO ANNA AND BJÖRN, TODAY’S RANGE OF
STRING PRODUCTS FUNCTION IN ALL ROOMS
AND CONTEXTS.
A N N A V O N S C H E W E N & B J Ö R N D A H L S T R Ö M
The String shelving system was already an icon when
Anna von Schewen and Björn Dahlström began their colla-
boration with String Furniture in 2011.
This could easily have instilled a respect of paralysing
proportions, but instead they have shown a deep under-
standing of the heart of the brand. “When you take
on a phenomenon like String there’s a risk of focusing
too much on the obvious attributes. In this case, the
‘strings’ of the wall panels”, says Björn. “But if we just
developed a lot of products based on a 5-millimetre metal
wire, the outcome would feel quite bland”.
Another thing that they realised was the importance
of not rushing the creative process. “Björn and I have an
ongoing dialogue about String, and share a true ambition
to develop the concept behind the brand”, says Anna.
“At the same time, we’ve learned not to lose our focus
on quality by continuously creating new things”.
So, what’s the point of a creative approach at all? String
is a design classic. Doesn’t it all come down to a timeless
style, fulfilling timeless needs? “String provides storage”,
says Anna. “Everybody needs that. But the requirements
for storage change over time, so the solutions need to
keep up with the times”.
Anna explains how these solutions meet the require-
ments in different ways – practically, visually, even how
it feels to touch the furniture’s surface – but makes it
clear that their work is never just about being beautiful.
Everything is connected to function and how String can
be developed to allow multiple configurations that suit
an even wider range of room types.
One of the first designs they created for String
Furniture was the folding table for String System. Björn,
who is an industrial designer, particularly enjoyed
it, since a lot of effort was put into developing the
special hinges. An impressive focus on detail which
makes the folding table as smart as it is beautiful, in
line with the original concept behind String. Now, the
shelf could be transformed into a table in no time – a
stroke of genius understood by anybody who has tried
compact living.
Anna and Björn also accepted an assignment to
renew the shelves’ wooden boards, a development
that could pave the way for String’s future. The solution
emerged when the designers began experimenting with
thin metal boards, giving them punched-out holes and
folding up the front edge by 20 millimetres. “The fold
adds stability, and gives a visual similarity to the wooden
boards, which are 20 millimetres thick”, says Björn.
The punched-out holes add a light touch, and they
open up the possibility of new features: hooks, rods and
various accessories that can easily be attached to String.
“The metal boards actually add another key platform
to String”, says Anna. “A system within the system”.
A majority of the new accessories are even made out
of 5-millimetre metal string, just like the string used for
String wall panels since 1949. It’s an elegant way of
seamlessly connecting the past to the future.
When the designers created the office range Works,
they offered a solution to office designers wanting to
“disconnect” String System from the walls without
spoiling its characteristic lightness and transparency.
For example, the stand of the adjustable work table is
very slender, compared to traditional desks – a typical
feature used through the range
ANNA VON SCHEWEN & BJÖRN DAHLSTRÖM 75
