Getting his start
I was born in Munich and as a child always loved building things. During high school, I worked for an antique furniture restorer because I wanted to know how to fix objects in a proper manner. This led to my training as a cabinetmaker at the John Makepeace School for Craftsmen in Wood—now known as Parnham College—in Dorset, England, where I was formally introduced to the concept of design. I went on to study design at the Royal College of Art in London, before setting up my own office in Munich in 1991.
The draw of product design
I wanted to create products that were functional without losing the human touch, and to combine formal strictness with a sense of mental acuity and humor.
On inspirations
I often find inspiration in the past: the history of art, design, and architecture. This is combined with my passion for technology and materials, and my sense of the needs the future [might have].
On design principles
My aesthetic is principally defined by logic. A product must be useful, first and foremost. From there, I like to experiment with geometricity to create unexpected angles and viewpoints.
Setting his practice apart
Anything we do is for people to use. I like the physical, even frictional, confrontation between the user and the furniture item. Our studio also looks at every aspect of the object—from how it will be produced to who will be using it, to what happens to it after it goes through its lifecycle.
Latest debut
Most recently, I designed the Citizen chair for Vitra. [It] reinterprets the traditional lounge chair silhouette with a structure and shape defined by a framework in bent tubular steel, while a freely suspended seat cushion offers an entirely new experience. Hanging on just three steel cables from the frame, the seat can move in all directions, creating a swinging movement. All elements of the chair are exposed, lending visual lightness and a sporty nonchalance.
This article originally appeared in HD’s 2020 Product Marketplace issue.
