One of the seating objects of the Nature Furniture collection designed by Front for Moroso; Photo Andy Liffner, courtesy of Front.
Swedish office Front creates a furniture collection designed by nature
Swedish design office Front – founded by Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren – has designed a new, intriguing collection of furniture inspired by nature for Italian manufacturer Moroso.
Titled Nature Furniture, the collection is part of a larger project, named Design by Nature, through which the Swedish duo investigates and draws inspiration from forms and patterns created by plants and animals. According to Front, the project has taken years of development and research about the physical and mental health effects, as well as the cultural and psychological significance, of natural settings.
The distinctive organic forms of the six seating objects in the collection – which resemble rocks and driftwood covered by moss, algae, and lichens – are based on actual natural settings that were 3D-scanned and translated into geometric forms that can be manufactured by a wood milling machine. The patterned textiles that cover the furniture were also developed starting from drawings, paintings, and photographs taken in the wilderness, that were subsequently digitally processed and woven into custom tapestries.
Photos Andy Liffner, courtesy of Front.
Some of the patterned fabrics developed by Front for the collection; photos by Alessandro Paderni, courtesy of Front.
Yet, in Front’s approach to design, the inspiration from nature goes beyond formal and aesthetic elements and investigates more subtle and profound aspects of the relationship between humans and the natural environment. For example, users can sit on the objects in many unconventional ways, since the furniture’s organic shapes suggest unusual places for the human body to occupy, reproducing the posture we would find natural while sitting or lying down, say, in a misty forest or on a rocky beach.
Another aspect Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren paid careful attention to when designing the collection, is how a close relationship between people and the natural environment can contribute to psychological and physical wellbeing.
“Many studies have proven that being close to nature has many therapeutic qualities and is good for personal and public health. (This is) The fundamental part of humans relations to their environment that we are interested in experimenting with.”
The point cloud of one of the 3D-scanned natural settings that have been used as models for the design of the seating objects. Photo Alessandro Paderni, courtesy of Front.
Two of the six pieces of furniture in the collection; photos by Alessandro Paderni, courtesy of Front.
Photos Andy Liffner, courtesy of Front.
About Front
Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren are members of the Swedish design studio Front.
Their works are based on common discussions, explorations, and experiments and they collaborate on all projects from initial ideas to the final product. Front’s design objects often communicate a story to the observer about the design process, the material it is made of, or about conventions within the design field. In their work, they have assigned part of the making of design to animals, computers, or machines. They have made a constantly changing interior, created objects with explosions, robotic furniture, and a range of furniture inspired by their fascination with magic.
Front’s work is represented at MoMA, Victoria & Albert Museum, M+, Nationalmuseum, Vitra Design Museum, and Centre Pompidou.
Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren, founders of Front; photo Andy Liffner, courtesy of Front.