in the making
Jaime hayon talks about his fruitful collaboration with Fritz hansen
It was like finding a secret. Tucked behind a main street along a cobblestone path was the entrance to Fritz Hotel. I was greeted by a reception area, then walked through a bar and cafe, and finally reached an airy lobby furnished with pieces from the iconic Danish brand. “All that’s missing are the rooms,” says Hayon and laughs; he curated the exhibition, which is reassuringly more casual than conceptual. “The idea was to create a space for people to engage with the pieces and see them in context.” The award-winning Spanish designer, known for his knack of mixing humour and high design, along with his affinity for colour, is a long-time collaborator with the Republic of Fritz Hansen. His deep understanding of the brand’s design ethos and its trust placed in him is immediately felt in the vibrant, welcoming space. Hayon, however, stresses that the space wasn’t about being ‘playful,’ but about showing the purity of form and the utmost functionality advocated by him and the brand. “If you look at the designs by Arne Jacobsen, they’re sculptural— and that’s something we share,” he explains. “The spirit of Scandinavian design is about making it right, making it beautiful and showing the essence of the materials. It’s about doing it for the people and for everyone.” The new Hayon-designed Lune sofa, which was launched last April in Milan, follows the same ideology that has guided all of Fritz Hansen’s designers. Hayon describes the working relationship “like a marriage”; the result is an offspring that combines his sculptural aesthetic with the durability and usability that the Danish brand has perfected. Similar to the Ro chair, the Lune has rounded edges and an optimal depth that invites one to sit, relax and linger… much like the feeling at the Fritz Hotel.