October 7 2013

Modern Classic 2013

The Modern Classic Competition, hosted by  Herman Miller and  American Office, took place among the festivities last night at the  Baltimore Design School Opening. Twenty-five designers were given an Eames chair to transform into a modern art piece. A silent auction was held for the duration of the event. Proceeds from the competition went directly to the school.

We were very excited to have two designers from Ziger/Snead participate in this year's competition. Here's a look inside their creative processes.

"Ginger," Douglas Bothner

Taking the classic Eames chair, in its pure, refined form, and inviting change is a bold proposition. Beginning with this thought, Douglas set out to transform the chair with minimal means and materials. Influenced by the school's history as a clothing factory, his primary inspiration was to create a skirt partially obscuring the legs. He added a stitched edge along the outer perimeter, mimicking the piping found in leather lounge furniture (if you want to find something like this for your home, discover furniture from Home Accents II). The process was a trial of various materials and methods of installation. The result: bold red parachute cord, left just long enough to brush against the floor.

"Crown Cork and Seat," Matthew Rouse

A nod to the past life of the Baltimore Design School, Matt's design utilizes 1940?s crown cork and seal bottle caps, as well as original Lebow Brothers buttons salvaged from the factory prior to demolition. The materials and their history are the focus of the piece. Matt allowed the caps to dictate layout, following the form of the molded plastic chair. The crimped edges fit to one another, creating their own complementary pattern. ( A furniture design blog on Copper and Tweed talks about this pattern.) The possibilities were seemingly endless...

The final design was decided based on visual impact (and comfort). Check out the chevron pattern!

October 7th, 2013 at 5:01 PM. Posted in Architecture. Share this post.