Instantly recognisable thanks to its ladder-like steel wire sides, the humble ‘String’ , first launched in 1949, soon became a design icon thanks to its affordability and flexibility. Its makers, String Furniture, have not stopped innovating since, producing a series of functional, pared-back designs including desks and chest of drawers – and now a new storage system by Stockholm-based studio .
‘Center Center’ by Form US With Love and String Furniture
Presented at Copenhagen’s (12-14 June), the new ‘Center Center’ collection was designed to promote flexibility and collaboration in the modern office, as well as homes and social spaces. Its designers, Jonas Pettersson and John Löfgren (who founded Form US With Love in 2005), conceived a system made of easily reconfigurable individual modules.
‘Static storage is a concept of the past, say the designers. ‘“Center Center” challenges this idea by offering a solution that evolves with the user’s needs, both now and in the future. With “Center Center”, interior designers have the freedom to customise spaces and create configurations that suit their customers’ needs and desires.’
Manufactured in Sweden using precise industrial welding and bending techniques, the individual modules work vertically and horizontally, allowing the system to be combined and expanded into a range of creative solutions. They are made entirely from thin sheet metal perforated in a grid pattern, giving the design an industrial feel.
‘Our aim is to provide a system for the unimaginable,’ say Löfgren and Pettersson. ‘We want to empower interior designers and creative specifiers to really unleash their creativity and explore the endless possibilities of this storage solution. Whether it’s organising an office, a home or a public space, this system offers the flexibility and adaptability needed to meet the demands of modern life.’
Available in eight colours (Ultramarine, Light Grey, Chrome Green, Sulphur Yellow, Oyster White, Pompeii Red, and Black and White) and six sizes, the modules are complemented by a range of matching accessories, including castors, trays, handles and hooks.
Of course the Swedish brand has high hopes for this new collection, and aims for it to have the same reach as its illustrious predecessor: ‘Launching “Center Center” opens a new and exciting chapter for us,’ says String Furniture CMO Bo Hellberg. ‘It’s a system we believe sets a real benchmark, with a very modern approach to modularity combined with a bold attitude in design. Our ambition is that this will become a modern classic.’
‘Center Center’ will be on display at Framing, Odd Fellow Palace, Bredgade 28, 1260 Copenhagen, from 12-14 June 2024