Live at IMM Cologne: DRAENERT
At IMM Cologne 2009, you may have come across a host of fêted names from the A&D clique. Held annually in Cologne (Germany), not only is the emphasis on business flagrant but one also witnesses how artistic innovations get enmeshed effortlessly in consumer design culture. The repertoire of work exhibited at the fair is staggering and the harmonized convergence of a universal design vision, nothing short of impressive.
Figura, tables. Designed by Stephan Veit. Manufactured by DRAENERT.
German company DRAENERT will make its debut this year at Cologne. Established in 1968, the company's area of expertise is dining and coffee tables with patented extension-mechanisms. All DRAENERT products keep up with international trends yet simultaneously suffused with the wisdom of traditional craftsmanship. To me the inherent core of DRAENERT is its individualism and the strong regional consciousness that it seems to embrace.
The Figura tables, the Torno side-table, and the Levante coffee table are just some of the pieces that the German manufacturer will be unveiling at IMM Cologne 2009. Each piece is different from the other and highlights the company's predilection towards clean lines and innovative forms.
Torno, side-tables. Designed by Stephan Veit. Manufactured by DRAENERT.
Levante, coffee table. Designed by Gino Carollo. Manufactured by DRAENERT.
Designer Stephan Veit plays with round shapes and uses wood to create the Figura Table. However he does a complete u-turn with the twisted Torno. Made from white synthetic quartz, Torno is environment-friendly and the gapless processing is meant to give the table the appearance of "forming a uniform and integrated whole.” Interestingly fellow designer Gino Carollo doesn't follow any conventional shape for the Levante and while the glass bow shape looks like a difficult silhouette to work, it certainly mirrors the designer's quest to impress the discerning client.
While all of the pieces from DRAENERT highlight the simplicity in design, they still tend to disentangle from the ordinary. The strong sculptural lines are no coincidence and it's commendable that none of the pieces hold fast to the customary monotonous clich©s.
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