Work-Life-Blending
How the K+N NOOK.SHELL chair reflects a new approach to life
Is it because of the revival of mid-century design, or the transformation of the office into a blank canvas that we can use to depict our entire personal identity? Is the ability to produce plastic furniture sustainably the reason for the rising popularity of shell chairs, or is it simply the fact that they are extremely comfortable to sit on? Whatever the answer: König + Neurath offers an attractive variant that looks good in the office or at home, and can be configured for a wide range of design concepts: K+N NOOK.SHELL
In the 1950s a chair was designed that remains just as popular today: the comfortable multifunctional chair whose plastic shell can be combined with a variety of bases. At the time, the real accomplishment was the invention of a new kind of material. Plastics could be produced on an industrial scale, they were easy to dye and low in weight. This constituted an important step towards the democratisation of design, and stylish home furnishings became affordable for private individuals. Since then a large number of plastic chairs have been made.
The new role of the office
These days life is no longer rigidly structured into work and leisure as it was during the economic miracle years – or even at the end of the millennium. It’s more the sum total of different activities, with private life and work merging increasingly. The prestigious Future Institute refers to this as work-life blending, while König + Neurath differentiates between various work-life models when they analyse the work culture of customers.
Regardless of the balance, the office is far from irrelevant in the context of remote working, it simply acquires a new role. The office becomes a “culture centre within the company” – in other words the place where the workforce can enjoy a team experience. The space in which collaboration and co-creation happen can and should reflect context. What are the implications in furnishing terms?
Furniture as a response to the question of values
If people are at work in a thinking, feeling and meaningful capacity instead of merely as employees, then the office outfitting needs to reflect a range of expectations. According to the Future Institute, companies can create relevance by viewing values as a relationship basis. So an office environment that reflects values of this nature is a place where we are valued and feel comfortable as individuals. An organisation in which Corporate Social Responsibility is practised – because it has identified the value priorities of its employees. And a framework in which high-quality, future-oriented outfitting concepts are an expression of sustainable business.
K+N NOOK.SHELL: versatility in function, design and application
So for König + Neurath, the launch of the K+N NOOK.SHELL chair means more than just rounding off the conference and visitor chair range, it’s another opportunity to offer outfitting specialists a relevant design with added value.
This shell chair can be configured in diverse ways, with a backrest shell that comes in three variants (plastic and two different upholstered versions) and two colours (black and white). The bases range from a cantilever or spider base to a height-adjustable conference model with starbase, as well as a counter chair, and there’s a selection of colours. Thanks to the upholstery in a variety of colours and materials, the K+N NOOK.SHELL blends in harmoniously with almost any environment – at a home dining table that’s been repurposed as a workspace, a coworking area at a start-up-up company, in a conference room designed to reflect corporate identity, or in a study/guest room at home.
What makes K+N NOOK.SHELL sustainable
Simplicity? Quality! Even though K+N NOOK.SHELL comes in numerous variants thanks to its modular design, its construction is not particularly complex In other words, the number of components is kept to a minimum and the materials are designed to be recycled by type, and this allows almost the whole chair to be recycled once it reaches the end of its life. On the subject of recycling: to save raw materials, we try to use as much recyclate as possible in the chair’s production.
Quality made in Germany
What makes K+N NOOK.SHELL stand out over the hordes of shell chairs that have flooded the furniture market is that special König + Neurath quality: The chair, which is entirely manufactured in Germany, features an optional rocker mechanism to optimise the sitting experience. It’s also available with castors and gas spring height adjustment, making it even better suited to flexible and agile working – either from home or in a meeting area at the office.
Sources for the magazine article:
https://www.planet-wissen.de/gesellschaft/wohnen/stuehle/index.html#:~:text=Es%20war%20eine%20Sitzschale%20aus,das%20Niveau%20privater%20Einrichtungen%20erh%C3%B6hen.
https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/artikel/siegeszug-der-emotionen/
ttps://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/dossier/megatrend-new-work/
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