At NeoCon 2019 , the contract world continued to show its softer side. Responding
to the ever-increasing call for spaces that foster health and wellness, palettes
were awash in calming, nature-inspired hues such as sky blue, moss green and
rose-petal pink, while acoustic solutions were rendered in materials, shapes
and patterns as soothing to the eye and touch as to the ear. Comfort was also
abundantly on offer in the form of expansive seating systems.
One standout was Vitra’s new – and aptly named – Soft Work by Edward Barber
and Jay Osgerby, which effortlessly incorporated all of these trends. The British
designers, who are known for straightforward designs that manage to feel fresh,
precise and elegant, first devised the seating system for the Ace Hotel in their
home base of London. After observing the “loose and limber” way that business
travellers would occupy the lobby, they saw an opportunity to adapt the series
for today’s mobile workers.
“It was the right time to systematize this,” says Osgerby of their decision to
further refine the modular seating. To that end, they made nuanced yet integral
ergonomic tweaks that saw the seat height raised ever so slightly and the flex-
ible backrests elongated, while tuck-away power outlets and charging stations,
swivel tray tables and a set of partition screens were introduced. By putting the
focus on sofas rather than desks, the two have addressed the non-static nature
of contemporary work culture and done so in a beautiful and inviting way. And
since things never stay the same for long, the capability to expand Soft Work is
built into its DNA. “This seating system will continue to evolve as needs evolve,”
says Barber. vitra.com, barberosgerby.comVITRA TEAMS UP WITH BARBER & OSGERBY
TO DELIVER A LIMITLESS SYSTEM THAT
TURNS PUBLIC SPACES INTO EFFICIENT
WORKSTATIONS
WORDS _Kendra Jackson PORTRAIT _Dan WilsonExpansion
Project
Best in Show
Developed by Edward
Barber (left) and Jay
Osgerby, the Soft
Work seating system
(top) includes straight
and curved elements,
flexible backrests and a
variety of fabric, colour
and finish options.034 _ _SEPT 2019