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M&C 13
Variable, flexible, modular, surprising;
static and mobile, specialist and horizontal;
a eulogy to discretion and to the pleasure
and need for sharing. It is work that expands
into work, offices that expand into meeting
rooms, virtuous ergonomic work stations
that morph into connection hubs – static
and yet mobile. Work around the person is
a philosophy, a tendency, a way of organizing
that is translated into forms, functions,
projects, contexts. At Orgatec 2018,
Citterio presented new solutions for the
contemporary office.
Phonewalk, designed by Progetto CMR,
is a self-supporting acoustic corridor that
enhances the gesture of phoning when
chatting, walking, writing, replying, meeting
– all actions that take place at the same time.
It represents a lifestyle and a style of working,
and thus a design theme. Phonewalk develops
research into individual soundproofed
booths and proposes a linear walk-in/walk-out
booth, which you cross while remaining
isolated (both acoustically and visually)
from the surrounding environment.
On the way you can phone, walk, and take
notes on whiteboards, in an interactive and
multitasking public intimacy. The structure
is modular so as to obtain variable lengths
and it is entirely made of wood. On the
outside, the walls have structural uprights
and plugging panels in a range of four colors.
On the inside, the soundproofing modules
are covered in textiles in a range of 15
colors. Phonewalk blends with Wood
Walls and with W_SS soundproofed booths.
The design is in line with what a guru like
George Amar maintains when he explains
his idea of design walking: “When walking
we are not single individuals but part of a
globabl system. Part of your walking includes
the light on your way, the shoes you wear,
what you see or hear, the air you breathe.
This point of view has poetic aspects because
it implies being in the world, looking and
hearing, interacting with people, to the extent
that numerous scientists say that our brain
dedicates most of its activity to movement
and not to words, considering the motory
complexity of every single movement.
In these dynamics, a design object is
interesting in so far as it takes mobility
as a whole into account”.
Bridge, designed by Pinuccio Borgonovo
and Paolo Pampanoni, is another project which
expemplifies this philosophy. It is a modular
operating system in which operative and
relational functions coexist. Bridge is
a wood-paneled trilith that accommodates
suspended cupboards, desks and acoustic
panels, hooked up to a power strip under
the top which guarantees the wiring of each
workstation and enables the position to be
varied. The system is designed to offer a wide
range of configurations customized at the
planning stage and adaptable during use.
The panels are covered in textiles and
sound-absorbent materials to guarantee acoustic
comfort and privacy. Adjustable tops, desks
and benches of variable heights ensure the best
possible posture of each person according
to their preferences and their activities.
Contemporary offices are open,
flexible and mobile
by Cristiana Colli
David Chipperfield Architects
Works 2018
Basilica Palladiana, Vicenza
12 May – 2 September 2018
After 12 years of restoration work, the Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza reopened
as a venue dedicated to contemporary architecture. The first exhibition featured
recently completed and in-progress projects by David Chipperfield Architects.
Materials on display varied from early sketches and models to photographs
and films of completed projects. Projects included the Royal Academy of Arts
masterplan in London, the Neue Nationalgalerie refurbishment in Berlin,
the Museum of Natural History in Zheijiang and the Procuratie Vecchie
on Piazza San Marco in Venice. UniFor supported the initiative as a global sponsor.
L’anello mancante -
Michele de Lucchi
MAXXI, Rome
7 December 2018 –
3 March 2019
L’Anello mancante is the sixth edition of Nature, a series of site-specific
installations launched by MAXXI as an experimental new approach to solo
exhibitions. For each edition, a designer is given the chance to create a space
that is representative of themselves. Architect and designer Michele De Lucchi
has chosen to represent himself with L’anello mancante, which translates as
“the missing link”. The circular sculpture, which is both an object and a building,
encourages visitors to find new connections. UniFor is a technical sponsor
of the exhibition. The company’s collaborative relationship with De Lucchi
has resulted in some of its most successful products, such as MDL System,
and office interiors including UniCredit in Verona.
