Just when you think you've seen it all, even at a show like iSalone in Milan, Bene comes out with Pixel, a plywood box that it is selling for $59 — $69 for the version with two holes — that it hopes will attract young buyers who want to use the boxes to build their own offices (and build the Bene brand).
Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Love it or hate it, iSalone, which kicked off Tuesday in Milan, is a funky mix of innovation, beautiful design and a dash of just plain weird. The show is massive, but the office portion of the show called Workplace3.0 Salone Ufficio, the biennial office furniture section, seems to be shrinking.
Held in halls 22 and 24 in the Fiera Milano complex, Workplace3.0 has fewer office furniture makers this year, wider aisles and large unused spaces, a continuation of the trend in recent years of European office furniture events that seem to be slowing. There seems to be more ancillary office products in the two halls this year, including a few component makers, office technology companies and interiors products.
That being said, those who are showing in Milan seem to be making the most of the space. There are some cool new products, lots of ideas and a fair number of visitors to the office area of the show (actually, iSalone is made up of many events running together).
And it is no surprise that visitors will find a few Ferraris — at least the office furniture version of the sleek Italian autos — at the event. In this case, I'm talking about Italian office furniture maker UniFor, whose unbelievably cool furniture most closely resembles Italian supercars. Its Element Office Collection by Foster + Partners is the pinnacle of height adjustable furniture, a round table with a central height adjustable column with flush doors that spin sideways on pantographic hinges.
Some of these brands are so cool that it is hard to tell what they are selling, with booths as starkly stocked as a Prada store. If you are in Milan looking for North American manufacturers, you have to look hard. There are very few U.S. companies that participate in the official iSalone event, but many like Herman Miller and Haworth's high end Italian brands host events in the city that pull in attendees. U.S. exhibitors include Humanscale, Knoll and Emeco.
Humanscale is the only North American office furniture maker in the Workplace3.0 area of the show. Knoll and Emeco are in a different part of the show complex that caters a bit more to the home furniture market, though brands with crossover appeal can be found scattered throughout. There are a handful of small Canadian manufacturers as well. But for most who attend iSalone, the show is all about the Europeans.
The iSalone event does a wonderful job of outlining trends and ideas in the office and home that will drive both sectors for years to come. It is where new products, materials and ideas about the office and life are born.
Take, for example, Laminam, an Italian ceramic tile maker that is showing off how large tile slabs can be used in the office on walls and to make furniture. The tiles work well as furniture because they are able to mimic other materials like iron and wood. They are also good for outdoor use as well. Kriska Decor is using a 90-year-old metal chain product for the office as well. The company hopes office designers will use the metal chain screens to divide rooms, add interest to ceilings and boost corporate branding (images can be printed on the metal chains).
Technology is making its way to the office via Milan as well. Cisco was showing off a new product it launched in January at iSalone called the Spark Board. The company is touting it as a way to replace traditional meeting room clutter with a 3-in-1 product that combines a presentation device, digital whiteboard and conferencing tool. The 55-inch version of the Spark Board costs $5,000 and the 70-inch version costs $10,000. It is another example of technology companies entering the realm of the office furniture world. Spark Board uses innovations like intelligent beam array microphones, an ultra high definition camera, proximity pairing and an interactive whiteboard, all designed to simplify the entire meeting experiences.
And some of what you find at iSalone's Workplace3.0 is just plain beautiful. Humanscale is definitely worth a mention for its Todd Bracher designed Vessel lights that are used to creating one of the brightest and most inviting stands in the show. Boss Design's new Atom system is worth noting as well. Designed by London design house Simon Pengelly, Atom is smashing the idea of what's possible when soft seating and lounge products morph to be used throughout the office. Look for it and Boss Design's new chair, Trinetic, at NeoCon in the company's new and expanded showroom at theMart.
NowyStyl Group continues to impress. After stealing the show at Orgatec in October, the Polish office furniture company created one of the most compelling stands at Workplace3.0. It is an office furniture maker that is whimsical without being weird, fun without being ridiculous and stylish without going overboard. Its Tapa product, designed by Mac Stopa is a good example of the company's vision for the office. They are upholstered wool pouffes that can be used to make everything from lounge seats for a breakout area to seating to ground seat cushions. The company playfully used them at Workplace3.0 to make an office swing.
Workplace3.0 covers more than 100,000 square feet and occupies two pavilions (22 and 24), hosting 92 exhibitors. The exhibition also will look at how new approaches to work and new designs create a space where workers can truly “live” in their workspaces. Workplace3.0 and iSalone run through April 9.
iSalone is about events as much as about exhibits. “A Joyful Sense at Work” is an event curated by Cristiana Cutrona that is designed to give form and life to the latest theories of office products and workspace design. Workplace 3.0 itself is conceived as an irreplaceable think tank for finding out about and understanding upcoming changes to workspaces, “going beyond the most widely held opinions and putting all of our certainties up for discussion.”
It is worth revisiting Bene's Pixel product as well, not so much because the venerable office furniture maker is hawking plywood boxes as furniture, but because of the change in direction it signals for the company. Sure, Bene is still going to make its high end office products, said Michael Fried, executive board member for sales and marketing, but it is also trying to make the brand more accessible for younger customers.
And before you dismiss Pixel as a gimmick, it is worth taking a look at it. The boxes attach to one another both vertically and horizontally. Two top sizes can be used to make a simple stand to a funky sofa. For a frame of reference, it would cost about $950 to create a Pixel standing height desk for a couple of workers.
“Even in house, when we were developing the product, some thought that Bene was becoming another IKEA,” Fried said. “When we started getting 100 percent positive feedback (from the design community), everyone was the father and mother of this idea. With Pixel, we are targeting people who have never purchased Bene before. You can use it to build your office however you like — paint it, put stickers on it — it doesn't matter. It is rough and raw.”