Contract - May 2012 - (Page 60)

product focus A Collection to Define 21st Century Herman Miller Iconic designs mingle with newcomers in the Herman Miller Collection 1 3 2 It may be prophetic that Herman Miller’s early design director George Nelson envisioned a melding of the work and home environments through furnishings that could bridge the gap. Today that crossover mindset is hugely popular, as the staid, hierarchical corporate office has fallen out of favor with the current workforce and, along the same lines, many people prefer to work from the comfort of their homes, or at the very least, in a home-like setting. With this in mind, the American furniture manufacturer decided it was high time to revive and revise its Herman Miller Collection concept—a robust but curated furniture and accessories collection of more than 200 pieces providing total solutions for modern workspaces and home life. “When we first considered the collection, we asked ourselves, ‘What do we have? What is our aspiration? And what’s missing?’” says Ben Watson, executive creative director at Herman Miller. Thus, the collection combines old and new to create a comprehensive offering. 60 Iconic favorites from the company’s archives include Nelson’s own Swag Leg Desk (1), 1958, and Charles and Ray Eames’s eponymous Molded Plywood Chair (3), 1946; pieces launched in recent years range from Studio Tecnica’s Magis Tavolo XZ3 Table to the Setu Chair by Studio 7.5. And brand new designs will be rolled out throughout this year, including Mattiazzi’s indoor-outdoor Medici Chair (2), designed by Konstantin Grcic. Herman Miller stresses that incorporating the classics isn’t waxing nostalgic, as many have been refined, updated, or reintroduced and put back into production. The Eames Molded Plywood Chair, for instance, now sports an upholstered seat and back. And George Nelson’s Swag Leg Desk is a reintroduction, as its size and scale are perfect for today’s work styles and mobile computing and technology. View some of the collection during NeoCon® in space 321. —Sheila Kim hermanmiller.com reader service No. 256 contractdesign.com MAy 2012 http://www.hermanmiller.com http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - May 2012

Contract - May 2012
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Coming Events
Exhibition: Coverings
Exhibition: Highlights from Salone Internazionale del Mobile
Product Focus: Enlivening the Flexible Office
Product Focus: A Collection to Define 21st Century Herman Miller
NeoCon® Preview
Hospitality’s Influence in Workplace Design
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Campus
Steelcase Office and Work Café
Shlemmer Algaze Associates
Red Bull Amsterdam
THQ
Grey Group Roof Deck
Knoll, East Greenville Headquarters
The Metrics of Distributed Work
Tools: Pinterested, by Design
Exhibition: Hallingdal 65
Designers Select: Office Furniture
Sources
Ad Index
Exhibition: Lasvit Liquidkristal by Ross Lovegrove

Contract - May 2012