Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of NeoCon, furniture brand Nienkämper is celebrating its half-century milestone with new innovations and by bringing back familiar favorites.
The highlight will be a temporary structure wrapped in a low-maintenance living wall of Finnish moss and Plexiglas. Looking in, the steel pavilion not only houses the company’s products, but is representative of the way in which contemporary offices are going with temporary walls and rooms being erected in open floor plans.
Displayed within the pavilion is a piece of Nienkämper history. The Expo 67 chair was originally created for the Habitat complex during its namesake exhibition in Canada the 1960s. At the time, founder Klaus Nienkämper was 27 years old, and being asked to provide furniture for the Commissioner General’s suite became one of the defining aspects of his career.
When speaking in May 2018, he explained that he thought it would be fun to revive the Expo 67 chair for both NeoCon and Nienkämper’s 50th anniversaries.
A small, as-yet-unnamed table was originally built for a river cruise boat which needed a solution to tight quarters. With a charging port at the base, the tabletop unfolds to double in length. The truly wonderful part of the design, however, sits in the mechanization of the base. Using the same sit-stand elements that have become commonplace in allowing the workplace to become more individualized, the accent table-height is able to be raised to dining-height, allowing it to be used in multiple settings.
Using mechanization to fulfill needs in the office are also on display. This year the company will be showing an electronic sit-stand desk which runs on a rechargeable battery, allowing it to be wheeled on its casters around a space without wire worries.
Additionally, a 60-inch by 60-inch conference table—the Vox Mega Flip Top—has more bells and whistles than initially appears. Designed based on requests for conference tables that can be easily moved and stored, the table top flips up via two handles near the base. A nearly-hidden button allows the entire table to be lifted off the ground and rolled out of the way. When in place, it can be lowered to provide stability.
A Historic Year: Nienkämper at NeoCon 50