A Divisive Issue
By Franki Durbin on Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
SL05 PARDIS. Designed by Philipp Mainzer. Manufactured by E15. Image courtesy of Dwell Blog.
It would be difficult to overstate the influence that loft living has had over the past few years. What began as an effort to repurpose abandoned city buildings has spurned a rash of new developments in every city from Detroit to Dallas. Typified by sprawling open spaces and a lack of walls, it was only a matter of time before urban dwellers realized they actually missed a classic feature of traditional living spaces: walls.
While that unimpeded space is exactly what we’re paying for, walls (as retro as the idea may seem to some) serve myriad purposes. And though there are many solutions available, from sinewy room dividers to open shelving, well-styled homeowners demand more creativity in their options. Brian Fichtner of the Dwell blog put it this way:
While open plans evoke the freedom of a bohemian lifestyle, the reality is that we still take comfort in the division of purpose that traditional room arrangements provide. Furniture designers working in this loft era have a challenge before them: How does one create an elegant, functional object, while addressing spatial relationships in a single-room dwelling?
Furniture designer Philipp Mainzer clearly knew that where there is a challenge, there is opportunity. His collection of furnishings for E15 addresses the space division issue with an unusual spin. His Shiraz sofa and the Pardis bed incorporate space clarifying elements into the furnishings themselves. The Pardis bed leverages its oversize headboard to emulate a wall behind the head of the bed. The Shiraz seating collection, apparently inspired by Persian conversation islands, offers backrests of varying heights that serve to create an intimate barrier around the sofas, thus creating much needed coziness in an otherwise unbridled space.
The result, in my opinion, is very sleek. I love the idea of upholstered pieces used for space division in lofts, as it also addresses the issue of noise baffling and added much needed ‘warmth’ to an otherwise raw space. It will be interesting to see what solutions designers such as Mainzer introduce next to the market. One thing is certain, the affluent loft-dwelling market deserves no shortage of chic solutions to outfit their stylish living spaces.
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A chair fit for a King (or Queen) 3 Comments Add your own
Ha! I love this comment, Jacob. It did have a very academic debate vibe to it. ;)
and, yes, I feel it easily could serve as primary furnishings in a loft - at least in the lounge/sleep areas. Done well, this could be the base for a very fun conversation pit.
You know me - Mr. Academia :)
I wonder if this furniture item could serve as the only furniture item in a big open studio. It operates as living room seating on one end… perhaps sleeping on another end… perhaps dinning on another end… Would be really cool. That said, I feel like I am starting to question architecture and products just like one of my professors would comment on my own work. Like re-reading my own comment above, was that even English?