KEEPING TIME
With a range of new configurations and finishes, the Nienkämper Metronome collection cements its status as a contemporary classic
“It’s often best to focus on a certain area of the business — and we focus on the boardroom,” says Klaus Nienkämper. He’s being modest. For decades, Nienkämper’s eponymous Torontobased brand has been a global leader in contract furnishings, with a richly diverse offering of seating and workstations — and collaborations with the likes of Karim Rashid, Yabu Pushelberg and Daniel Libeskind. But it’s the boardroom, specifically, where Nienkämper reigns. The company’s cutting-edge solutions include the Metronome collection of tables, which continues to evolve with a marquee 2020 addition.
Designed by Toronto’s Fig40, Metronome epitomizes the flexibility — and subtle flair — of a welcoming, collaborative workspace. Its adroit combination of structure, technology and aesthetic grace made it an instant standout when it first debuted in 2011. A winner of an IIDEX/NEOCON Silver Award in 2011 and a Red Dot Award in
2013 — not to mention an Award of Merit at the 2012 AZ Awards — the evolving series has continued to earn plaudits. While it has expanded to include a wide range of options for any workplace scenario (including the modular and highly mobile Fliptop tables), the line as a whole is characterized by an elegantly angular aesthetic and unfussy functionality.
This year’s introduction of the Metronome Trestle adds a versatile and refreshingly informal variation on the celebrated design. Building on the refined simplicity of the series’s angular metal frame, the Metronome Trestle table offers a standing-height surface that lends itself to meetings, collaborative work and use as a touchdown station. While the metal frame maintains the exceptionally stable structural platform that elevates Metronome, the deft addition of soft wood tones gives this high-tech table a timeless presence. The eye-catching wooden legs and metal foot rail can be paired with a wood veneer or plastic laminate top, while a central wood chimney facilitates tidy wire management. The table’s versatility — which is further optimized when paired with Fig40’s Jackal stool — is a vital complement to today’s fast-evolving office environments.
Which is all according to plan. The collection, explains Fig40’s
Lee David Fletcher, was designed to respond to changing needs without becoming obsolete. “The name Metronome comes from the idea of keeping time,” he says, “and of keeping pace with what’s going on in the working environment.” In other words, no wonder it’s been a workplace staple for almost 10 years. And with the 2020 launch of Trestle, it’s safe to say that another decade (at least) of understated design excellence is on the table. nienkamper.com