shelf + desk + chair = office!

For Orgatec 2014 (Cologne) Nendo presents his interpetation of the office space with a new installation for Kokuyo Furniture: "shelf + desk + chair = office".

The project tried to capture the spirit of the brand by returning to the fundamental principles of the office and asking what, ultimately, an office is.

The designer said: "We broke the office down into its smallest components – desks, chairs and shelving - then put it back together again, creating new relationships between the component items to explore the possibilities of future office space.

Instead of opting for the usual smooth, glossy office furniture finish, we used a varied matte finish and carried the muted black through the entire colour scheme. Combined with Kokuyo’s newest chair, the Inspine, the rough, primitive design shelving and table created an arresting contrast".

The installation is composed by following five elements:

object01

Removing some of the shelves turns part of the shelving unit into a desk. Exploring the boundary between horizontal surfaces intended for storage, and those intended for work.

object02

Desks and floorspace appear when the shelves are scattered right and left. An experiment in transforming shelving’s vertical levels into office three-dimensionality.

object03

Shelves and desks mingle, and space appears inside by cutting out their overlaps. Searching for a new way of gathering together and a new spatial relationship with desks, in which we’re enclosed by our desk, rather than sit facing it.

object04

Resting and waiting functions appear when office chairs are partially absorbed into the shelf. A consideration of the boundary between ‘on-‘ (office) and ‘off-duty’ (lobby and amenity) furniture.