With the world converging into a more adaptable and sustainable state of mind, reduction recycling and reuse are the key elements in Arper’s latest collections, along with a ‘softening’ of design and extreme flexibility in multiple use scenarios.
Arper is a name synonymous with beautiful, soft, comfortable and flexible furniture that could easily fit into many different situations, including corporate, residential, hospitality, educational and transportation. Their latest collections are not only easily applicable in multiple design scenarios, but also uphold the highest standards in sustainability, showing great regard and respect for our planet.
The Adell Collection
Arper’s new line, Adell, embraces this ethos with the aesthetic and design perfection we have come to expect of this brand. One look at Adell, and you are visually transported into a warm and healthy, biophilic space. ‘Smooth like a pebble, soft as rounded moss’, this collection of lounge furniture invites you to just sink in and exhale.
Adell has been created specifically with adaptability in mind. This collection is designed for use both indoors and outdoors, in spaces of repose, and can be customised to suit myriad contexts, from lounge areas to waiting rooms, educational common areas, hospitality spaces, and even residential settings. Designers Lievore + Altherr Désile Park created a range of customisable bases, upholstery and legs, to allow the collection to be as flexible as possible.
“We took a 360-degree design approach, as we wanted to create a system that was completely customisable so it could adapt to different uses, expressions, and also price points,” says Jeannette Altherr, designer at the studio Lievore + Altherr Désile Park “We created different upholstery and base options to respond to the various types of lounge settings. For example, we imagine the fully upholstered version in hotels, restaurants, airport lounges or offices, while the extra soft, fluffy frontal cover would look great in coworking offices or homes with a more relaxed mood. Conversely, the plastic shell would be perfectly situated in educational or healthcare settings where there are higher demands on durability, and the material can be easily cleaned. And the soft seat cushion option is ideal for outdoor uses like gardens or terraces.”
Sustainability at its helm
This new collection is created with recycled textured plastic, and there is an important reason for this choice of material.
From a recycling perspective, Arper and the designers went on a journey to educate themselves on their initial choice of bioplastic, and some interesting facts were revealed to deter them from this material.
“The more we learned about it, the less we were convinced. For now, bioplastic can actually create an entirely different set of concerns – from the impact on agriculture, like deforestation, water consumption, fertilisers and pesticides use, to not having the infrastructure in place to recycle it,” says Altherr.
Also, turns out, bioplastic can actually be just as harmful as conventional plastic, with the EU heavily recommending recycling instead.
“We realised that the problems with plastic that we have today were created by the idea of it as a single-use or cheap throw-away material – an idea that started in the 1970s. We are now beginning to see institutional infrastructure to support recycling – but what do we do with all the raw material? We decided that the most sustainable way forward would be to use 100% recycled plastic.”
Plastic seemed like the obvious material choice as it would best create the curves, plus it is both robust and durable, and great for outdoor use. It also makes a great base for upholstery, and is much more affordable than wood.
Aston Club
Continuing on in the same vein with sustainability and adaptability at the forefront, is the new Aston Club by renowned designer Jean-Marie Massaud.
Aston Club evolves the Aston design to offer sumptuous comfort contained within a striking and elegant gesture. An evocative silhouette that still plays well with others, this statement piece speaks quietly, but confidently. Its strong and classical lines convey an enduring allure, a timeless form designed for superlative comfort .
Like any good product, Aston Club’s elegance and timelessness allows it to blend into many contexts. “Depending on its type of finish, it can adapt to both ‘premium’ and ‘casual smart’ contexts,” says Massaud. “This includes institutional environments as well as places of welcome and hospitality, or even domestic spaces.”
Arper has always embraced the ethos of the merging workplace, resimmercial interiors, and flexible and adaptable designs. Aston Club can be mixed and matched with almost any Arper piece of furniture, based on the choice of fabric.
“We have added exclusive fabric finishes that transport Aston Club from the most classic to the most radical environments,” says Massaud. “Decorators and architects alike will incorporate this new icon into their designs to translate their sensibilities and enrich their design vocabularies.”
Of course, upholding the brand’s sustainable ethos, the Arper team, paid special attention to sustainability. “The result seems effortless but it is the core of the product,” Massaud explains. “Each piece has been designed so as to be easily dismantled and recycled after use.”
With the events of 2020 unfolding a global ‘work from home’ movement, Arper’s digital toolkits, such as Virtual Spaces, as well as their Back to Our Spaces catalogue, really help the transition back into the office, and are coming in more handy now than ever. Such a global, well-established brand also comes with a wealth of interior design experience, and research data to back that up. So when they offer us a digital platform, namely Virtual Spaces, we can trust that this is going to truly make our design life easier, and our workspaces genuinely nicer.
Virtual Spaces
Going into a bit more detail, Virtual Spaces invites you to digitally experience and explore five lounge spaces furnished with the latest 2020 collections, Aston Club and Adell.
Much more than products, Arper’s Virtual Spaces offer complete design solutions that interpret flexibility and attention to customisation, which are the central values for the brand. The five proposed solutions, all of which can be explored in 3D, are individually customisable, allowing visitors to select different combinations of finishes, fabrics and colours. The customisation feature allows users to appreciate different atmospheres and to experiment with various furniture solutions.
Office Lounge and Residential Living provide ideas for office and residential spaces. The main player in both scenes is Aston Club, with its classic and timeless line, presented in both the corporate and residential versions, while the Adell range, with its welcoming and comfortable personality, furnishes the Hospitality Lounge, Hospitality Cafeteria and Hospitality Outdoor situations with an informal yet sophisticated approach.
“The ability to select different moods, fabrics and colours will certainly provide our partners with useful ideas for their new projects,” says Giovanni Peracin, Group Brand and Marketing Director. “We know that the opportunity to touch products and to physically immerse yourself in the Arper world will always be considered the most pleasant option, however, the Arper Virtual Spaces tool still manages to give you a great taste of what the brand can offer.”
To experience Arper’s Virtual Spaces, click here.
Back to Our Spaces
While the world battles an ongoing pandemic, much of the workforce is returning back to their offices. Addressing the here and now, Arper created a concise and easily workable manual to help the transition back into shared spaces and to assist designers and clients in adapting existing furniture into safer, socially distant yet effective and collaborative office areas.
The brand takes pride in the claim that they put flexibility at the forefront of their designs, and promote a sense of balance between work and personal life. In the Back to Our Spaces manual, the brand has reimagined workspaces in order to show the adaptability of their products based on the current situation and, of course, needs.
“These times call for adaptability, openness and innovative approaches. We are proud to offer products that are extremely well suited to the unique moment we are experiencing, and every other moment to come. We know that how we find connection is more important than where. Arper is here to help imagine our new shared spaces. Separate, not separated. Distanced, not distant. As always, together” – Arper.
The catalogue then proceeds to offer detailed blueprints on recreating areas, as lobbies and waiting rooms, breakout spaces, workstation configurations and more, using Arper’s existing line of furniture.
To download the complete Back to Our Spaces catalogue, click here.
