This week Artek unveils Kaari, a new furniture collection by French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, presented in Stockholm for the first time.
This collection forms the second episode of what seems like a love affair between the pair and Finnish design – having presented a series of glass pieces for Iittala in the second half of 2014. The brothers seem perfectly at ease with Scandinavia's design language, and have proven this once again with this capsule collection comprising tables and shelves.
Unlike chairs, whose iconic designs have shaped visual history for several decades, tables are more akin to architectural archetypes: static, solid and often overlooked in their design – yet are still a focal point of each home. ‘Only a few tables have made design history,’ explained Ronan Bouroullec of the impetus behind their design, which elevates the simple table leg to its pivotal role as the collection's anchor.
An outline of a triangle is all the designers needed to build Kaari – the diagonal steel line supporting the table leg in a variety of compositions. In fact, this system proved so effective that it has also been applied to rectangular and round tables, as well as a series of shelves.
It is not the first time the pair has shown a sensibility to the often-overlooked table. Their ability to reinvent this elemental piece has manifested within the Officina series for Magis, and the Copenhagen series for Hay, but this new collection takes the concept to a new level through its modular system. Meaning ‘arch’, the aptly titled Kaari collection creates a new, modernist chapter for Artek, while also developing a fresh aesthetic direction for the brand.
The collection originated from a simple design element serving as a table leg, and forming an anchor to the collectionFurniture
An outline of a triangle forms the base of the collection
The modular system was also expanded to a series of shelves
The idea behind the Kaari collection was to create an iconic, but essential table design
The designers' sketch, left, shows the adaptability of the simple concept behind Kaari
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