Office memo
From soft-edged library and lab design to spot-on desk lighting
Labs, libraries, lamps and more workspace design
Maya S Somaiya Library, india by SP+A
An array of global influences came together to create sculptural magic in this new library for the Shri Sharda school in Kopargaon, a small town in Maharashtra state, nearly 200km north-east of Mumbai. SP+A drew on traditional Catalan tile vaulting, the structural gymnastics of legendary Uruguayan engineer Eladio Dieste and software developed by ETH university in Switzerland to conjure up the snaking brick roof. ‘We tried to push the local or regional paradigm to evolve beyond the clichéd image,’ says founding principal Sameep Padora. ‘Our process drew on a combination of techniques across both time and geography.’ The architects also designed the wooden furniture, shelving and low Kota limestone stools. The result is a new landscape that expands the children’s horizons, both physically and intellectually. sp-arc.net
‘XT-A SINGLE’ LIGHT by Tobias Grau
A trusty task light that combines elegance with efficiency will always find favour at Wallpaper* HQ. German lighting specialist Tobias Grau’s new offering, the ‘XT-A Single’, is a slender desk-mounted design, available in black and white versions. Part of a collection that also includes floor and ceiling lights, the desk lamp has an otherworldly profile, hovering over the work space like an alien visitor, dispensing an even, optimum light from a source that always remains parallel to the desk surface and provides perfect glare control. The design received a 2018 if Award and can be connected to other products from the Tobias Grau range for synchronised dimming. From €898, by Tobias Grau, tobiasgrau.com
‘Rookie’ chair by konstantin Grcic
Unsurprisingly, the mighty Swiss furniture brand Vitra believes strongly in the future of the office. The company’s ‘Work’ exhibition at the Orgatec trade fair in Cologne this October will explore all facets of tomorrow’s workspaces, distilling new ideas on flexibility and freedom into spaces that are sometimes seen as immutable. Overseen by architects Jonathan Olivares and Pernilla Ohrstedt, ‘Work’ comprises three installations, by Sevil Peach, Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby, and Konstantin Grcic, the last including the German designer’s new ‘Rookie’ chair. ‘It’s designed for environments that encourage the creation and exchange of ideas,’ he says. Price on request, by Konstantin Grcic, for Vitra, vitra.com
Custom Lighting service by erco
Lighting provider Erco has always operated at the technological cutting edge, creating products to sate even the most demanding architects and designers. Not content with offering thousands of colourways and finishes, the company is now launching Erco Individual, a new service that brings custom lighting – previously limited to the brand’s major projects, such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi – to a broader audience of designers. The German company promises to throw the weight of its specialist technicians behind each project. New approaches, such as 3D printing, make even small runs practical, while many existing Erco products, such as the ‘Parscan’ track light system (pictured), can be incorporated. Erco Individual, erco.com
‘CODA’ LAB Furniture by rainlight
Flexible furniture for the office gets much attention, but there are other fields where a dose of design can improve functionality and ergonomics. ‘Coda’ is a new range of laboratory furniture from American company Kewaunee Scientific. Designed by a team led by Yorgo Lykouria, creative director and co-founder at London and La-based studio Rainlight, ‘Coda’ is a modular system with Kubrickian gloss, featuring fully adjustable benches with integrated shelving systems to help foster a culture of greater collaboration in the lab. The soft, rounded edges are more akin to a sci-fi set than the stark reality of the average lab, while the design includes 10ft-long workstation spans, space for video displays and racks for equipment and sinks, as required. Kewaunee has more than a century of experience in lab furniture and accessories, and employing the innovative design talents of Rainlight is a bold move for this very traditional realm. Price on request, by Rainlight, for Kewaunee, kewaunee.com; coda-world.com
‘haiku’ panel by team 7
Austrian manufacturer Team 7 works wonders with wood, producing everything from solid oak kitchens to beech side tables. The company’s new ‘Haiku’ wall panel is a freestanding solid wood frame that’s intended as a poetic place on which to store your belongings while at work. Designed by in-house specialist Sebastian Desch, ‘Haiku’ is available in a variety of iterations, either floor-standing or wall-mounted, with hanging rails, storage or shelving, and the option of a large mirror. The company dates back to the late 1950s and specialises in sustainable wood products, dovetailed with new technology, such as this unit’s integrated LED lighting that can be activated by a wave of the foot. From £850, by Team 7, team7.co.uk