On view at the Fire Station by Zaha Hadid on the Vitra Campus through August 30, 'The Original: About the Power of Good Design' installation inspires its audience with interesting facts about each design - featuring their background stories, defining characteristics, and influences.
The installation showcases designs in narrative form. For example, it recounts the origins of the Tip Ton chair by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, whose development began in 2008 with a competition to furnish the new Royal Society of Arts Academy in Tipton, England. In their search for suitable products, the British design duo discovered a gap in the market for school chairs compatible with 21st century learning methods. This led to a collaboration with Vitra on the development of the solid plastic Tip Ton chair with forward-tilt action. The Original illustrates this process with photos of technical drawings, sketches, synthetic resin models and prototypes.
Photography: Mark Niedermann