PRINCIPLES – a new furniture collection designed by OMA with global workplace furniture designer and manufacturer UniFor – has been unveiled for the Milan Design Week 2022. The furniture range characterized by simple yet rigorous forms and offering an endless spectrum of configurations is the result of the close collaboration between UniFor and OMA since 2018.
The fundamental concept of PRINCIPLES is to provide furnishings that can be used by anyone, at any time, to best support the flow of operations and communications required by the contemporary workplace. The collection is composed of more than one hundred elements – in the sizes S, M, L, and XL and organized into different categories – which can be configured in limitless ways for working in groups or independently. One of the families, the ‘spines’ of the collection, includes straight and curved partition panels that can be joined to form individual pods for private calls and focused work, or semi-secluded nooks for smaller meetings. Another family comprises ring-shaped sofas and soft islands that allow for more informal interaction.
The elements, which provide for multiple and diversifiable functions and applications, have been designed to give form to every type of space, be it for working, waiting, meeting, relaxing, or any combination of functions. Conceptualized as an interior micro-architecture, each space has its own identity differentiated by forms, colors, and dimensions.
Each piece in the collection has been specifically designed to ensure the flexibility of the workplace and to offer a maximum level of functionality for the convenience of its users. The desks and tables have double-layered surfaces for multiple uses such as eating, working, and organizing. The furnishings are fully wired, giving users the flexibility to work anywhere in the office, while soundproof materials are incorporated into their design for elevated acoustic performance.
Exploration of technology and materiality is integral to the development of the collection. Fabric for high-tech sportswear, extra-thick color core laminates in carefully selected tones, and specially designed microperforated sheet metals for acoustic performing surface have been deployed to create the highly functional furniture. UniFor – a company of the Molteni Group specialized in workplace furnishing solutions – and OMA initially collaborated on the design of the furniture for the common and lounge areas of the OMA-designed Axel Springer Campus in Berlin in 2018. The pieces have been reengineered and optimized into a highly modular and customizable collection. The resulting collection combines OMA’s design ideas with the precise application of UniFor’s technical and manufacturing expertise.
Rem Koolhaas, Partner, OMA: “OMA and UniFor have worked in close collaboration to create a unique furniture line that responds to the needs of workspace culture in the 21st century. This experiment started with the Axel Springer Campus, an office building in the heart of Berlin welcoming about 3,000 employees every day. The result generated successful new ways of interacting and communicating within the office and is now available for a broader audience. We are curious to see how the modules – colors, materials, functions and shapes – of the PRINCIPLES collection will come together and serve different work environments globally.”
Carlo Molteni, Managing Director, UniFor: “Collaborating with OMA has been an important experience because it has allowed us to look beyond the usual ways of perceiving space and to push our manufacturing capacity into a new area of thinking, taste, and business. I have a lot of faith in this collection. Its strong identity is a perfect match for UniFor’s enterprising personality.”
Philippe Braun, Associate, OMA: “In designing this collection, we wanted to offer users flexibility in determining their own place of work. The modular system with a range of adaptable elements allows for exploration of different workplace configurations. UniFor’s expertise was instrumental in realizing this collection that suits the office space and beyond.”
The project is led by Rem Koolhaas, with Project Architects Philippe Braun and Giulio Margheri in collaboration with designer Antonio Barone.