Now and Then, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby 7...Now and Then, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby 7 An Ongoing Experiment 9 Folded Structures 15 Loop Table 19 Olympic Torch 77 Frameworks

Now and Then, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby 7

An Ongoing Experiment 9

Folded Structures 15

Loop Table 19

Olympic Torch 77

Frameworks 87

Tip Ton 103

Double Space 157

Volumes 177

Sony Exhibition 191

In the Making 225

Chronology 269

Features and Publications 300

Index 304

5.Tab Lamp, Flos, 2007 Next: Double Tab Lamp, Flos, 2007

Olio Cutlery, stainless steel prototypes, Royal Doulton, UK, 2014 7.

Shell Chairs, Isokon Plus, 2000Right: Limited Edition Shell Chair, 20 Ltd., 2007

9.Olympic Torch, laser sintered rapid prototype, LOCOG, 2011

Laser cut aluminium sheet of Olympic Torches, prior to shaping, 2012Next: Robotic welding of an Olympic Torch, 2012 Following: First torchbearer of the Olympic Relay, Olympia, Greece, 2012

Rolf Fehlbaum sitting on the first Tip Ton rig, Basel, Switzerland, 2009

Tip Ton development model, foam and copper tubing, 2010

Tip Ton resin prototype, Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany, 2016 11.

humble that made it instantly popular with the public,’ says Maise. Despite the initial design focus, Tip Ton was not introduced as a school chair spe-cifically, but rather as one that could work at home, in the office or in the classroom. In comparison with standard office chairs – which it does not resemble in the slightest – the Tip Ton is playful, even jaunty.

Fehlbaum explains that the possibility of universal applicability was key for introducing the chair to the market. The form and experience it offered may have been new, but those could be learned intuitively. ‘People do not want to read an instruction manual before using a chair,’ he points out. Upon seeing the chair for the first time, some have expressed concerns that it might tip too far forward – but this is alleviated once people try it for themselves. ‘There might have been some sceptical voices, but the experience convinced most straight away,’ Fehlbaum says.

The Tip Ton’s launch was covered widely by the media, and in 2013 Barber and Osgerby won the Créateur de l’Année award at the annual trade show Maison et Objet in Paris. That same year, the chair received the German Design Award from the German Design Council, the Design Guild Mark from the Furniture Makers’ Company and a D&AD Yellow Pencil for Product Design. But Fehlbaum himself may have paid the chair its highest compliment: while Vitra is always looking to improve on designs, he says, it would be difficult to optimize or simplify the Tip Ton – in part because of the complex tools its manufacture requires, but also because the design is already so resolved. Currently, the only obvious change that will be made to the chair is a super-ficial one: its colours, which will be refreshed every few years.

Enthused by the research they had done for the Tip Ton, Barber and Osgerby were able to apply their new knowledge to another design: the Bodleian Libraries Chair (2014). The renowned library at the University of Oxford announced a design competition for a library chair that would – among other requirements – demonstrate an understanding of the important historical context of the institution, as well as respond to the fact that readers often sit for six to eight hours at a time. Barber and Osgerby’s winning proposal is an oak chair made using traditional methods by their long-term partner Isokon Plus. The designers implemented their experience with the Tip Ton by incorporating a similarly tilted skid, helping to improve posture during long periods of reading.

Ultimately, the Tip Ton earned its place in the history of chair design by presenting a new archetype to the market: a usually static piece of furniture that enables movement and offers a new experience for the sitter. Vitra’s own Design Museum produces posters representing the history of chairs through a number of well-selected examples, the list being updated every couple of years; the Tip Ton was added in 2012. The chair is also included in the Art Institute of Chicago’s permanent collection.

1. Eckart Maise in Vera Sacchetti, ‘The Tipping Point’, Disegno (27 January 2013), <disegnodaily.com/article/the-tipping-point#slide-1>

13.Iris 1300, dimensions 1300 x 1300 x 400 mm (51.2 x 51.2 x 15.7 in), Established & Sons, 2008

Hotaru paper lantern, prototype hanging in the studio, Ozeki, Japan, 201515.15.

Tibbo chairs and dining table, Dedon, 2016Right: Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Dedon workshop, Lüneburg, Germany, 2016

Iris, 2008Established & Sons Materials: Machined and anodized aluminium, low-iron glass

Designed for the Established & Sons gallery, the Iris evolved from experimentation in colour, rath-er than considerations of structure or ergonomics. The final form, a faceted ring with no beginning or end, was determined by extensive circular col-our studies undertaken in the studio. Each of the individual aluminium segments was precision ma-chined and hand-dyed in anodizing tanks, embed-ding the colour into the surface.

A total of five tables were produced for the exhi-bition, each an edition of twelve: Iris 1500 consisted of sixty individually coloured components; Iris 1300 and Iris 1200 of forty-eight; Iris 600 (pictured) and Iris 500 of thirty-six. The transparent table tops were made from low-iron glass to prevent alteration of colour on the interior surface. Although an indu-strial process of machining and bolting was used in the tables’ construction, the result was a lyrical, seamless, tessellated object, the name of which refers to the colour striations of the human eye.

Images: pp.214–23

Filo Sofa, 2009Private commissionMaterials: Oak, felt

For this private commission there were just two simple requirements: to design a sofa that was both large and comfortable. Such a loose brief allowed Barber and Osgerby room for creative freedom and experimentation. After a variety of directions were explored, the designers chose to pursue the idea of a deconstructed sofa where the solid oak framework, measuring 3195 x 920 x 1295 mm (125.8 x 36.2 x 51 in), was exposed rather than concealed. So, rather than a purely functional support, the frame be-came an essential part of the aesthetic. As an al-ternative to regular fixed upholstery, six loose layers of contrasting coloured felt quilts were laid across the sofa frame, allowing versatility in the variable colour combinations.

Images: pp.168–9

Portfolio Box for Thomas Ruff, 2009Toluca EditionsMaterials: Aluminium

Alexis Fabry and Olivier Andreotti of Toluca Editions create limited edition objects, comprising a port-folio of specially commissioned writing and photo-graphic prints, presented in a bespoke case.

On this occasion the box would hold prints by the German photographer Thomas Ruff, featuring images of austere, somewhat sinister, buildings – scenes devoid of life, impenetrable and banal. Barber and Osgerby treated the project as a di-rect, material translation of the images: faceless, hidden, impassable and hard. The result was a 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) case milled entirely from billets of 5083 grade aluminium, which, akin to the buildings in Ruff’s photographs, presented a conundrum with no obvious point of entry. The box and prints were accompanied by original text by the Mexican writer and poet Fabio Morabito.

The second commission from Toluca Editions came in 2015 – this time featuring photographic prints by JD ‘Okhai Ojeikere and an original text by Abdourahman A Waberi. Over a period of thirty years from 1968 to 1999, Ojeikere amassed over 1,000 photographs, documenting the ephemeral hair creations of Nigerian women. The hairstyles were commonly shot from three angles, generally from the back, to clearly reveal the abstract and sculptural qualities.

Barber and Osgerby created a case that was as tactile as the subject of the photos and used native wood from Nigeria.

Images: pp.184–5

Carbon Fibre Table, 2009Private commissionMaterials: Carbon fibre

The Carbon Fibre Table resulted from a private com-mission, which specified a large adaptable dining table that could also be used as a console. To al-low for easy storage and manoeuvrability, Barber and Osgerby proposed a design for two tables with de-mountable legs, one of which could be set aside when not in use. The legs were given asymmetric positions to create a more dynamic seating ar-rangement and when positioned against a wall, in its console form, this also resulted in the appear-ance of a floating table top.

The tops had a thickness of 10 mm giving the tables clarity, lightness and an uninterrupted surface. While underneath, the five screw-in legs, supported by a web of truss-like carbon fibre struts, added a strong architectural dimension. This project was a good example of specific functional demands leading to an innovative aesthetic result, rarely possible in large scale manufacture.

Measuring 2900 x 960 x 730 mm (114.2 x 37.8 x 28.7 in), the final table was produced in an edition of two.

Images: pp.120–5, 247

Lanterne Marine, 2009VeniniMaterials: Hand-blown Murano glass, anodized aluminium

In 2002, while working on the architectural ele-ments for Stella McCartney’s flagship retail store in New York, Barber and Osgerby were introduced to the creative director of Venini, Roberto Gasparotto. It was an important encounter that opened up the alchemic world of the Murano glassmakers and marked the beginning of an exciting new collab-oration with Venini.

The development of Lanterne Marine brought together a confluence of design themes that had long been a preoccupation for the designers: explo-rations of detailed handcraft with engineering, an interest in nautical design and a fascination with colour composition. The result was a series of large vases that involved the layering and stacking of the famous Venini colors to create new, almost modu-lar compositions.

Due to the vulnerability of stacked glass, alu-minium disks were used as spacers between the dif-ferent components. These disks were subsequently developed into a design feature through the at-tachment of a metal frame that encased the base of the vase. It was a sculptural element, evocative of the understated vernacular and nautical objects from Murano, specifically the protective frames used on hanging boat lamps.

Three designs in two colour sets were produced and each variation in the range became an edition of thirty. The modular glass bases and tops were blown in a range of special Venini colors, the recipes for which are known only to one man at the factory. The bases hold the open, calyx-like tops that are intended to hold water and flower stems.

Images: pp.124–5, 247

Watering Can, 2010WallpaperMaterials: Stainless steel

The Watering Can was commissioned by Wallpaper magazine for their exhibition, Handmade, at Salone del Mobile in 2010. The brief was to reap-praise an everyday object and create a one-off hand craft ed piece.

The familiar indoor watering can spends much of its time sitting unused on the windowsill, and its form has changed very little in recent times. As such, it seemed like the perfect object to rethink. This iteration, handmade in stainless steel, has a bright orange exterior and a mirror-finish interior. The oversized funnel helps with filling and doubles as a handle.

Barber & OsgerbyProjects

Collaborators for over twenty years, Barber and Osgerby have applied their talents to everything from industrial design and furniture, to lighting and installations. The most comprehensive survey of their work to date, this book offers a unique, 360-degree view into their approach and working methods. A series of stunning images explores their work thematically, while six essays provide an exclusive look into career-defining projects. The final section comprises a chronology of their work, each entry accompanied by a project description.

Barber and Osgerby founded their design studio in 1996 and have since established collaborations with leading global manufacturers such as Knoll, Vitra and B&B Italia. Their work is held in the permanent collections of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Art Institute of Chicago.

Binding: HardbackFormat: 320 x 240 mm (12 5/8 x 9 1/2 inches)Extent: 312 pagesNumber of images: c. 400Word Count: c. 36,000ISBN: 978 0 7148 7483 8

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