200 years of design history – illustrated by 70 chairs made by a single company. Steffen Kehrle’s redesign highlights Munich’s Die Neue Sammlung’s Thonet collection.
Die Neue Sammlung in Munich is updating the presentation of its Thonet collection on the occasion of the manufacturer’s 200th anniversary. The presentation was conceived by Steffen Kehrle, who has in parallel designed a chair for the museum.
“At the beginning of my career it was always important to me to see a project through from beginning to end. If I had a good idea, I wanted to realize it quickly and without making compromises.” Designer Steffen Kehrle thinks for a moment, before adding: “That was the right approach back then. Today I take more time. I have learnt when I have to say stop and start afresh.” Kehrle is standing in his Munich studio among two dozen prototypes of the “DNS” chair. There are rough cardboard models and 3D prints that look as though they are ready for series production. “DNS” stands for Die Neue Sammlung. The design museum initiated the project and is a driving force behind it. “Die Neue Sammlung asked me at some point if I could design a chair for them. And that really was the complete brief.” It did not take long before Kehrle came up with the idea of designing a chair for use in the exhibition spaces. “Informal and space-saving – for visitors, supervisors and for use during lectures,” he says, outlining this initial concept. The museum was instantly taken with the idea. The designer conceived a small item of furniture with a narrow seat and a backrest that is only hinted at – half chair, half stool.
