Milan 2016: London studio Industrial Facility has designed a range of desks and tables for American furniture company Emeco based on canteen tables and park benches (+ movie).
Sam Hecht and Kim Colin of Industrial Facility collaborated with Emeco to produce a set of multi-use furniture pieces named Run.
The designers aimed to create a collection of furniture that would bring people together, and looked to the tables and chairs used in communal areas such as canteens and parks for inspiration.
"Run effortlessly finds balance in both indoor and outdoor landscapes suited for meeting, eating, learning, sharing and working," said Hecht. "Run is shaped to acknowledge the benefits of being around others, so tables are welcoming and useful, made to work purposefully well with many of Emeco's existing chairs and stools."
The collection – made up of a shelving unit, a bench and a table – features plank-like surfaces available in either anodised aluminium, or three types of wood made by Amish craftsmen in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
While the aluminium and cedar surfaces are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, the ash and walnut pieces are better suited to a dining room or study.
Each piece is available in any length between 83 and 240 centimetres, and the tables can be purchased in heights suitable for sitting or standing.
"With Run, Sam Hecht and Kim Colin have designed a collection of pure utility," said Emeco's Gregg Buchbinder. "Whether long or short, high or low, inside or outside, Run is a system that provides an architect or designer an adaptable tool that works for any application."
The Run collection will be presented at Emeco's Stand at the Salone del Mobile furniture fair during Milan design week, which takes place this year from 12 to 17 April.
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Founded in 1944 to develop furniture for military ocean vessels, Emeco's most recognisable products include the aluminium 1006 Navy Chair.
The company has previously collaborated with many influential designers and corporations including Philippe Starck, Norman Foster, and Jasper Morrison – who designed a seating collection made using reclaimed materials for the brand that launched at last year's event in Milan.