Coalesse has introduced Marien152, a new global seating collection designed in collaboration with the Coalesse Design Group and internationally renowned designer Arik Levy. As the modern workforce continues to seek comfortable and inspiring spaces, companies are increasingly developing offices with residential sensibilities in mind. Marien152 is a richly tailored seating experience that’s inspired by the home and designed for the work day. This new seating collection achieves a unique blend of casual elegance and unexpected support with an innovative back cushion carefully engineered to enhance comfort and stability. Easy personalization is built into the collection through a wide range of color, form and materiality choices, further emphasizing Marien152’s ties to the personal environments that set us most at ease.

The first introductions from the Marien152 seating collection include a guest chair and conference chair, anchoring several applications through the workday. From meeting rooms and social cafes, to optimized work-from-home environments, the collection provides comfort for work modes including social connection and creative collaboration. Its distinguishing factor is the cleverly designed back cushion, which gives the appearance of a soft, loose pillow. This trick of engineering at the heart of the design creates subtle, built-in flex, allowing the chair to support the user as they move and shift postures.

“Every time I’ve bought a chair, there's always an additive to it – a little cushion or something placed on top adapting to the person using it that makes it a little bit more comfortable,” says designer Arik Levy. “In the working environment, this doesn’t quite make sense and a seat should be complete without anything added to it. So, I thought of how we can design a product that fits with so many different people and Marien152 is the result.”

An artist, technician, photographer, designer, and video artist, Arik Levy’s skills are multi-disciplinary, and his works are shown and installed worldwide. Best known for his sculptures–such as his signature Rock pieces–installations and limited editions, Levy has designed everything from jewelry to office systems out of his Paris-based studio, including the Pattern Collection of outdoor furniture for longstanding Coalesse partner EMU. Now, in his first collaboration with the Coalesse Design Group, he brings the idea that "the world is about people, not objects" to center stage with Marien152, designed for how people live and work today.

Constructed with superior craftsmanship and attention to detail, the seating collection invites personalization through finishes and upholstery choices. Marien152’s unique pillow feature also allows for matching or contrasting, two-tone upholstery, evoking the character of a beautiful chair at home. Available in a wide range of textiles, including Customer’s Own Material, Marien152 guest chairs are available with a solid oak base in a variety of stains, or a steel base in various paints or trivalent chrome finish. The conference chair is also available in various paints or a polished aluminum base and in four- or five-star configuration with or without casters.

Sustainability, as with all Coalesse products, is a criterion throughout the rigorous development process – from the selection of materials and production processes to the achievement of third-party certifications. And as part of Steelcase’s commitment to sustainability, Marien152 is produced in one of their carbon neutral facilities.

“Marien152 is one of the most thoughtful, empathetic designs I’ve ever collaborated on,” says John Hamilton, Director of Global Design for Coalesse. “It is led by the human element Arik Levy is known for and there is also a component of the design, and certainly the manufacturing, focused on environmental stewardship, making decisions on the production and materials to be the best possible for the environment.”

The result of careful attention paid to comfort, craft, and customization, Marien152 provides designers with the opportunity to create warm, welcoming spaces that are equal parts soft and supportive — just like the design itself.