One of the great destinations at this year’s Heimtextil fair in Frankfurt was the “House of Textile” student design competition sponsored by the Association of the German Home Textile Industry (Heimtex) in cooperation with Heimtextil and various universities and colleges.
The competition brought together students of architecture, interior design and textile design to take a glimpse at the role textiles will play in the areas of living, working and travel in 2025. The best ideas where chosen to show at the fair – five textile designs, and five application concepts.
Viktoriia Matsurova, studying interior design at Akademie der Bildenden Künste (The Academy of Visual Art) in Munich, felt compelled to bring a little peace to the workplace.
Goodbye, Uncomfortable Office Chairs
“Despite countless talks and conferences on the subject in ‘New Work,’ the fact remains: people spend far too much time in the office, and most of this time is spent sitting on uncomfortable chairs day after day, week after week.”
Her response: seating that offers genuine relaxation during break times. Inspired by nature, it's a place of relaxation that brings the great outdoors into the confines of the office. The curved elliptic form was inspired by the cocoon-like nests built by certain birds.
“KOKON [pronounced “cocoon”] is suspended from the ceiling and swings and hovers in the room, offering your body support without forcing you to sit in a fixed position. It is comprised of various movable sections which are used to open and close the KOKON.
Smart Materials Mimic Natural Texture
“Further, the KOKON is made with smart materials. These have a natural texture which you can make as transparent or opaque as you like – so once you're inside, you can shut yourself off from the outside world or leave it open, just as you like.”
Matsurova says these materials aren’t on the market just yet. Perhaps one of her fellow students will soon have a solution.
Material Intelligence is working with design educators in North America to help connect students with their counterparts in Europe and to take part in projects like House of Textile. If you’d like to get involved, please contact us!
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