Promotion: Swiss-Argentinian designer Alfredo Häberli aimed to create a "more sensual, more sinuous" take on the modular sofa with Giro Soft, his latest creation for Andreu World.
Configurable into layouts ranging from a cosy two-seater to a long and winding architectural seating arrangement, Giro Soft is distinguished by the flowing line of its swooping back- and armrest.
This gives it an organic shape not commonly seen in modular sofa systems, which are designed for adaptability to a wide range of spaces.
"Giro Soft is all about the simplicity of the gesture," Häberli told Dezeen. "You really don't see any stitching. It's kind of a sculpture, very reduced."
"After our last sofa together, Dado, we wanted to do something more sensual, more sinuous," Häberli continued. "We thought, how could we improve and what could we improve? And what could we take away?"
The reductive approach yielded one of the other key elements of Giro Soft – its minimal legs, which offset the solidity of the seat and make it look almost like it is floating above the floor. They also play the functional role of connecting Giro Soft's separate modules together.
The base is available in two variations – a slender aluminium design with a black, white or polished finish, and an ash wood sled leg that Häberli regards as particularly architectural and successful.
"The wood base is very abstract," he said. "It looks like it grows from the floor up, rather than coming down from the sofa. I don't know how but it does! I just love it."
"Both of the bases are very airy and give the sofa the appearance of flying – the gesture of the armrest underlines this a little bit."
The Giro Soft seating system includes modules with 90- and 45-degree bends as well as straight and end segments.
The seating can be customised with swivelling occasional tables that sit between the modules as well as built-in power sockets for charging devices.
Andreu World says the options for customising Giro Soft are "endless", and the system is particularly good for public or semi-public spaces, where it can help to divide areas and guide the circulation of people.
With the addition of two- and three-seater versions to the offering, it also works as a small sofa for the home.
As with all of Andreu World's furniture, Giro Soft is Cradle to Cradle Certified, meaning it is circular and responsibly made, and its wood is sustainably harvested, as certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The products are repairable and have a ten year guarantee.
The Spanish brand has earned a reputation for showing leadership on environmental sustainability, including by investing heavily in research and development around new materials.
Häberli contributes to these efforts with his design philosophy, which emphasises the creation of timeless products that last.
"You don't make things that are just for the next season," said Häberli. "That's why all my products are still in production decades later."
To view more of Andreu World's products, visit its website.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for Andreu World as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.