At NeoCon 2021: Inimitable Emeco

At NeoCon 2021: Inimitable Emeco

I have it at no-higher an authority than Erwan Bouroullec that Emeco is one-of-a-kind. That designer, along with Naoto Fukasawa, Barber & Osgerby, Jasper Morrison, and Sam Hecht + Kim Colin have recently collaborated with the brand who gave us Navy for an auspicious line-up of new products that each reflect the Emeco heritage of “making products that last—and doing it with style.

Run Daybed by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin

Number one is a welcome addition to an existing collection. Run is comprised of tables, benches, and shelves that reflect the congenial atmosphere of a place to sit and sip coffee on an outing to the park. Indeed, these pieces are modeled after basic utilitarian furniture that welcomes users at leisure or at work; inside or out; sitting, standing, or lounging about.

Emeco Run furniture collection
Shelves, Tables, and Bench from Emeco’s Run Collection

The needs of that last demographic are recently met with the new Daybed. Matching the basics of the existing pieces with a solid wood top and aluminum base, the Run Daybed makes for an amiable accomplice that supports real relaxation. The solid ash, walnut, or accoya top is sourced sustainably and crafted locally from members of an Amish community close by Emeco’s factory. Cushions may be upholstered in a range of Maharam Bask leather, Kvadrat Hallingdal fabric, and Sunbrella Heritage fabric.

Emeco Run Daybed with green cushion
Emeco Run Daybed with Navy Chair in light-filled room

Navy Officer by Jasper Morrison

What would discussion of Emeco be without specific reference to the Navy chair? This masterpiece of reclaimed materials and American metallurgical arts is quite possibly the most recognized furnishing in the world, so it’s no wonder that its iterations continue to multiply. Jasper Morrison’s Navy Officer ups the comfort quotient with a padded seat and back touched with the grace of a curated selection of Kvadrat/Maharam textiles. Navy Officer is available as a side chair, armchair, swivel chair, or swivel armchair, in brushed and polished aluminum or black powder-coat.

Emeco Navy Officer armchair, side chair, swivel armchair
Navy Officer
Emeco Navy Officer detail

On & On by Barber & Osgerby

Barber & Osgerby’s contribution departs from the mold to embrace the potential of recycled/recyclable PET. On & On is a family of stools and chairs that dares propose the hypothesis, what if a product could be infinite? All things must pass, as the saying goes, and so too will On & On, but when it does, this light, elegant, and stackable furnishing will not go gently into the landfill, but rather back into the product stream. The circular silhouette reflects this circular way of thinking, “combining longevity of design, durability, and the use of recycled materials that can be recycled again – on and on.”

Emeco On & On chairs three colors many chairs stacked
Emeco On & On Chairs
Emeco On & On six chairs
Emeco On & On view from above many chairs stacked

Za by Naoto Fukasawa

The theme of durable, functional, no-frills furniture continues with Naoto Fukasawa’s Za. Meaning a “place to sit” in Japanese, Za is a simple round stool sporting Emeco’s signature brushed aluminum while also marking out its own aesthetic terrain. Designer Fukasawa likens it to a member of the Navy family: “a stool to give people a happy mood when sitting… much like its forefather.”

Emeco Za Stool three stools
Emeco Za Stool
Emeco Za Stools seven stools in many different colors
Emeco Za Stool with designer holding one and one on floor

Truss by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

Lastly, the Bouroullec’s Truss is another proudct that extols an elemental form. Erwan Bouroullec describes it as an archetype that aims for something akin to simplicty (while also acknowledging that this isn’t quite the right word): “Simplicity is a long process. Truss was to be naked and it took a while to strip it down to the best minimum. What is simplicity? It’s a kind of transparency, when the nature of things appears.” The heart of this collection of tables, benches, and sofas is of course the truss, that lynchpin of engineering that deeds strength and stability as well as aesthetic elegance. Truss’ aluminum structure is book-ended by sustainably sourced plywood in Douglas Fir, a pair of panels that can be easily joined, for a line of Trusses that encourages people to congregate (and collaborate) in comfort.

Emeco Truss Bench in factory
Emeco Truss Bench
Emeco double truss bench in factory
Emeco Truss desk view from overhead
Emeco Truss Bench and Table

See Emeco for more about the new line-up of products. And check back soon for an exclusive interview with Erwan Bouroullec, in which he plumbs the depths of “simplicity,” explores the auspicious dissolution of the oft-contrived line between “life” and “work,” and makes a great case for the supremacy of the triangle.

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