Dezeen promotion: American furniture company Emeco has unveiled a new seating collection made using reclaimed materials by British designer Jasper Morrison at Milan's Salone Del Mobile furniture fair.
Chairs, counters, bar stools and a three-seater bench make up Morrison's Alfi collection.
The bar stools come in two different heights, and can have either a low or high backrest. An elliptical hole in the back of the seat is designed to aid carrying and moving.
"[Alfi] was inspired by the woven cane brasserie chairs you see out everywhere on Parisian sidewalks which have rounded backs and flat seats," said Morrison.
Available in brown, green, sand, red or dark grey, the seat shells are made entirely from reclaimed post-industrial waste – using 92.5 per cent polypropylene combined with 7.5 per cent wood fibre. The bases are formed by Amish craftsmen using responsibly harvested ash wood.
"The Emeco wood-filled reclaimed polypropylene seat combines beautifully with the ash wooden leg structures, providing a rich play of materials and finishes," Morrison said. "It's one of the most comfortable chairs I have designed."
Founded in 1944 to develop furniture for military ocean vessels, Emeco's most recognisable products include the aluminium 1006 Navy Chair.
The brand has previously collaborated with many influential designers and corporations including Philippe Starck, Norman Foster, BMW, Frank Gehry, Coca-Cola, Jean Nouvel, Konstantin Grcic and Nendo.
The Alfi collection will be displayed on the Emeco stand, Hall 20 Stand E15, at the Salone del Mobile until 19 April.
Read on for more information from Emeco:
Emeco introduces Alfi – a seating collection by Jasper Morrison
The Alfi Collection reflects Emeco's tradition of classic simplicity and Morrison's humble design sensibility.
Emeco has announced the launch of The Alfi Collection by Jasper Morrison, at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, Italy, from 14 - 19 April, at the Emeco stand - Hall 20, Stand E15.
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered their new seating family, the Alfi Collection, with the conviction that what you don’t see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morrison's common appreciation for the invisible qualities behind simplicity. Made of reclaimed and responsibly selected materials, engineered for comfort and strength, and designed to be humble and timeless, Alfi embodies these hidden values.
The Alfi Collection features simple inviting seats as chair, counter and bar stools, in two different heights, and a three-seat bench, all with either low or high backrests, and a distinctive elliptical opening in the seat back to make carrying easy.
For the seat colours, Jasper Morrison chose a subtle palette of earth tones - brown, green, sand, red and dark gray. Combined with bases in ash wood, the Alfi collection offers a wide visual array of choices.
With Alfi, Emeco continues its exploration of using reclaimed and recycled waste to make long-lasting products. Alfi seats are made of 100 per cent reclaimed post-industrial waste – 92.5 per cent polypropylene combined with 7.5 per cent wood fibre. Bases are made of responsibly harvested, locally sourced wood and crafted by Amish craftsmen. On the Alfi bench, cast iron integrates the seat and frame, thus adding stability and strength to the finished bench.
"Alfi is a highly comfortable, well made chair for cafés, bistros, restaurants, kitchens, schools, libraries, waiting rooms and wherever else an impression of relaxed uniformity combined with visual and physical comfort is needed. It was inspired by the woven cane brasserie chairs you see out everywhere on Parisian sidewalks which have rounded backs and flat seats. The Emeco wood filled reclaimed polypropylene seat combines beautifully with the ash wooden leg structures, providing a rich play of materials and finishes. It's one of the most comfortable chairs I have designed," – Jasper Morrison
"Jasper Morrison is a very humble person who is a delight to work with. We like to say that it was a true game of 'design ping-pong,' resulting in a well-formed collection" – Magnus Breitling, vice president of product, Emeco.
"Jasper's rigorous attention to every detail including materials, engineering, strength, comfort, finish, and colour was astounding. The result is a simple, honest, purpose-built chair, which is right for use" – Gregg Buchbinder, CEO and president, Emeco.
About Emeco
The American furniture company Emeco was founded in 1944 to make lightweight, non-corrosive, fire resistant and torpedo proof chairs for the US Navy. The classic 1006 Navy Chair was born. Made to last at least 150 years, it was light, smart, functional and strong – because that was the best we could do. Today our craftsmen in Hanover, Pennsylvania continue to handcraft chairs that are so strong they are passed down through generations – that’s how we define 'sustainability.'
Emeco is leading the industry, exploring and innovating ways to use consumer and industrial waste, and environmentally responsible resources to create and build simple, timeless furniture. We work with the world’s best designers and influential corporations including Philippe Starck, Norman Foster, BMW, Frank Gehry, Coca-Cola, Jean Nouvel, Konstantin Grcic, Nendo, and Jasper Morrison to make chairs that live up to the standards that we inherited from our founders with a vision to make a difference.
About Jasper Morrison
Jasper Morrison was born in London in 1959. He graduated in Design from Kingston Polytechnic in 1982. Then he attended the Royal College of Art, which included a year at Berlin’s HdK art school. In 1986 he set up his Office for Design in London. He established himself with two installations: Reuters News Centre at Documenta 8 in Kassel in 1987, and Some New Items for the Home, Part I, at the DAAD Gallery in Berlin in 1988. Jasper's earliest designs were produced by Aram and SCP in London, Neotu in Paris, FSB in Germany and Cappellini in Italy. In 1989, he began collaboration with Vitra with the exhibition Some New Items for the Home, Part II, at Milan's Furniture Fair. In 1994 Jasper began a consultancy with Üstra, the Hanover transport authority, designing a bus shelter and a new tram for the city.Further collaborations began in this period with the Italian companies Alessi, Flos, and Magis, and the German porcelain manufacturer Rosenthal.
In the 2000s Jasper began consultancies with Muji, Samsung, Ideal Standard and Established & Sons. In 2006 he collaborated with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa on the exhibition Super Normal at Axis Gallery in Tokyo. It was followed by a book and toured to London, Milan and New York. This exhibition inspired the opening of the Jasper Morrison Shop beside his London studio in 2009. Since 2010 Jasper has collaborated with Spanish companies Camper, Kettal and Andreu World, and US companies Maharam and Emeco. He is art director of Swiss electronics company Punkt.
Jasper Morrison has presented many exhibitions including at Axis Gallery and at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs Bordeaux. In 2015 a retrospective exhibition will open at the Grand-Hornu, Belgium, accompanied by a new monograph A Book of Things. Previous books include Everything But The Walls and The Good Life, both published by Lars Müller. Jasper Morrison Ltd currently has offices in London, Tokyo and Paris.