... Exhibiting at the Milan Design Week

The “amm – architektInnen machen möbel”  label was initiated in the Furniture Design Production course at TU Graz’s Institute of Spatial Design in 2012 by Irmgard Frank. The course has been offered in this form since 2012 and discovered its marketing maturity in the 2013/14 winter semester. The amm team: Matthias Gumhalter and Claudia Gerhäusser (until summer semester 16); Irmgard Frank and Franziska Hederer (winter semester 16/17), master carpenter Rainer Eberl, student assistant Marianne Machner (since winter semester 15/16), Judith Augustinovič (since summer semester 17).

   For the Graz architects the Ventura Lambrate was a unique and unusual opportunity to present their own work at such an international and top class event and to see their designs rated not only for their attractiveness but also for their suitability for daily use.  “Sitting on solid wood” was the theme of the seminar in the 2016/17 winter semester and it managed to get the design of unexpected, idiosyncratic seating furniture made of solid wood off the ground. The prototypes from Graz were presented in a striking ocean of turquoise. Situated in the best place in the middle of the hall, the wall and floor in the colour of the amm logo caught the attention of the visitors. Handy folders with pictures and descriptions of the exhibited objects provided insight for the interested public. 

The 56th Milan Design Show took place at the beginning of April. It included the Salone del Mobile programme – the world’s leading furniture exhibition at the Rho Fiera Milano exhibition centre – and the Fuorisalone – a range of events across the whole city at diverse locations, which also includes the post-industrial district of Lambrate. This year, too, was dedicated to young international and adventurous designers and schools of design.  

The in part very unusual stools though initially hesitantly tested by visitors, soon gained enthusiastic attention and were assessed as to their usability and comfort. The objects were occupied, grappled with and explored and their multi-functionality carefully scrutinised. Whereas the “mitra” stool can also be used as a lampshade, laundry basket and wastepaper basket, the “bulb” – a ready-made constructed out of a stainless steel bowl and a solid-wood lid – can also serve as a small table and store odds and ends.  The craftsman-like quality of the execution and the designs’ stripped-down use of materials under the experienced guidance of Irmgard Frank, Franziska Hederer and master carpenter Rainer Eberl succeeded far beyond convention and boredom and without flirting with lifestyle trends.      The high quality of seating items points to an intensive grappling with and questioning of the function of sitting itself and signals a great desire for experimentation. The “market maturity” and interest in the furniture was affirmed by invitations to participate in various events, such as the London Design Fair, Potentiale in Feldkirch and Design.Ve in Venice, and cooperation with Berlin University of the Arts, Akademie für Gestaltung und Design München and the Universitat Jaume I in Castelló de la Plana, Spain, among others, and contacts for production possibilities.  Readers who also want to try out the stools will have the opportunity to do so during the Graz Open Architecture '17.   Now it’s up to Irmgard Frank’s team to make the next move, sound out possibilities and sell the products designed by amm. There is already ample interest.