When Is a Chair Not a Chair? When It’s a Reflection of Both Manufacturer and User

In the form of an elongated rectangle accessible from the narrow front end, the stand dissolves into a dynamic space thanks to curving walls along the longitudinal sides and rear end, which pull the visitor inside the cavernous interior. To your right hand-side when entering the stand, a loose grouping of different twin models gives the upbeat. From the midst of this group, a single chair is elevated to eye level. This forms the starting point for a dynamic whirl of several dozen chairs suspended in a cloud above the visitors’ heads. These execute a backwards somersault wherein each adjacent section is rotated through 45 degrees. The resulting ensemble enables the visitor to view the chair from every conceivable angle. The swarm of chairs returns to its starting position at the opposite wall, where it is pulled back down to floor level. Here the entire spectrum of available models is presented and the visitor is invited to sit and test the chairs.

The walls of the space are completely panelled with mirrored polystyrene shingles. The panoramic effect of the mirrors adds additional dramatic impact to the scene. The mirrors greatly increase the already large number of chairs and their colour palette appears to spill down the walls, mixing with the reflections of the visitors. Their honeycomb structure deconstructs reflections: Individual forms are no longer recognisable and everything melts into a pixellated burst of colour. The wall shingles also hark back to the company’s Black Forest origins, conjuring up associations of tradition and high quality. Individual shingles printed with product information are dispersed across the chairs and areas of artificial grass. Visitors can thus take home their very own piece of the exhibition stand as a give-away. The stand’s organic layout is underscored by two zones of white artificial grass along the longitudinal walls as well as an island in the centre, demarcating the lounge that is furnished with other Brunner products.