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I WANTED TO START WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THE «TIP TON» CHAIR. I KNOW YOU SPENT A LOT OF
TIME IN SCHOOLS AND CLASSROOMS LOOKING AT HOW
THEY WORKED. IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN BRING
FROM THE LATEST THINKING ABOUT EDUCATIONAL
SPACES AND LIBRARIES INTO THE WORK PLACE?
JO
WELL, LETS TALK ABOUT HOW TIP TON STARTED. EDWARD AND I ARE ROYAL DESIGNERS
FOR INDUSTRY, AN ACCOLADE THAT IS GIVEN BY THE RSA ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT
OF ARTS, MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE. THE RSA WAS BUILDING A SCHOOL, THEIR FIRST
ACADEMY IN TIPTON, NEAR BIRMINGHAM AND MCASLAN AND PARTNERS WERE DESIGNING THE
SCHOOL.
PART OF OUR ROLE AS ROYAL DESIGNERS WAS TO HELP THEM SELECT FURNITURE FOR THE
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ING. BUT WE WERE REALLY SURPRISED THAT FURNITURE HADN’T CHANGED A GREAT DEAL
SINCE WE WERE IN SCHOOL.
EB
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using school furniture anyway. The academies generally have some architectural merit
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was what we felt anyway.
TIP TON
DESIGNED FOR VITRA
ED BARBER AND JAY OSGERBY IN THEIR STUDIO IN LONDON
EDWARD BARBER & JAY OSGERBY
MAP TABLE AND TIP TON DESIGNED FOR VITRA
PHOTOS BY MARCUS GAAB
Edward Barber
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