Meditations on Can Lis: Ferm Living unveils designs inspired by Jørn Utzon’s Mallorcan home

Perched dramatically on a Mallorcan clifftop overlooking the Mediterranean, with uninterrupted sea views, Can Lis is the Balearic home of late Danish architect Jørn Utzon, built in 1972 following his very public resignation from the Sydney Opera House project. For architecture enthusiasts, the home holds a near-mythical status – partly because of its breathtaking design that merges Scandinavian sensibilities with the Mallorcan vernacular, but also because it remains largely inaccessible. With the property owned and managed by the Utzon Foundation, visitor numbers are carefully controlled, lending it a ‘forbidden fruit’ quality: deeply admired, widely studied, but rarely experienced firsthand.

Last year, following an invitation from the foundation, Phillipp Materna, head of design at Ferm Living, was given the rare opportunity to experience the house’s architecture, materials, and shifting light – one that proved to be revelatory. 'Discovering Can Lis was kind of an “Aha” moment because it's this amazing jewel that we couldn't help but get lost in – both the story of it and the actual architectonic building itself,’ he tells Wallpaper* ahead of the brand’s latest launch – a collection inspired by the house’s magical atmosphere.

'Can Lis itself is a testament to a certain international fusion of Scandinavian and Mallorcan culture. Utzon basically sourced everything from the island – the stones, the wood, the tiles, the faucets. There’s a certain level of raw, matter-of-fact humbleness. It’s almost as if you were to take a Scandinavian mindset and apply it to a Mallorcan palette.'

It was this blend of mindset and materials that Materna sought to capture in the collection. ‘We wanted to reference that palette, incorporating materials like Douglas fir, oak, glass, and different types of stone to create that connection between the two ideas,’ he says.

Made up of 39 pieces, the Can Lis collection is designed to evoke island life – pieces to encourage gathering, eating, and enjoying the outdoors. An FSCTM-certified Douglas fir dining chair nods to Can Lis’ millwork; a mobile is based on the moon motif that appears throughout the house; cast glass vases resemble the brickwork; and a functional ceramic dinnerware set was inspired by the house’s Catalan chimneys, characteristic of those seen in traditional Mallorcan villages.

Materna joined Ferm Living in December 2023, stepping into a newly formed position, when founder and creative director, Trine Andersen, retired from her role. Prior to this, he spent eight years working in London with Michael Anastassiades, where he played a key role in developing the studio’s refined and sculptural approach to lighting and furniture.

Reflecting on his role as Head of Design and what he brings to the Danish brand, he says: ‘My hope is that it’s something that feels transitional, not abrupt. As a designer, you're able to take bits and pieces of the brand that you want to elaborate upon while also adding new things. So it’s a combination – it’s not erratic. It’s an evolution, one that over time will be noticeable but also feel familiar.'

Sustainability has been a growing focus for the brand, not only in terms of material choices but in the broader philosophy that informs its designs. ‘Internally, as a brand, we have a sustainability manager who drives our responsibility strategy, including efforts to lower our CO2 footprint, onboarding our suppliers in this work, and ensuring that our product standards align with our sustainability goals. But beyond that, there’s this idea that the simpler, more analogue, even brutal a product is, the more likely it is to last. There’s a raw simplicity that has an inherent value – something that, frankly, can’t go out of style.'

fermliving.com

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