Discover Germany | Special Theme | Creating My Perfect Office
Photo: © HCD, LiveCallcenter CCW 2016
Sit inside sound 2017 marks the ten-year anniversary of the first public presentation of the Sonic Chair. It was a life-changing event for all people involved and perhaps even for sound itself, as the innovative design furniture garnered much attention worldwide. With its smart design and powerful technology, it has since become a clever addition to work environments, workplaces and libraries around the world. TEXT: THOMAS SCHROERS I PHOTOS: SONIC CHAIR
To understand the incredible international response to the Sonic Chair, one must find out what the chair represents. “Describing the experience of sitting in our chair is almost impossible,” says sales director Jan Stühn.“Have you ever sat inside headphones? This is what it feels like. It’s like sitting amidst the orchestra, next to the conductor. It’s also cosy, a place to retreat.” Then there is the body-borne sound.“Due to the body and membrane of the Sonic Chair you can actually feel the gravity of the notes. It’s a guarantee for goosebumps,” adds designer Holger Fritzlar. 40 | Issue 46 | January 2017
But there is more to the experience. “Currently one of our main focuses has become larger work environments. Especially in open space offices, our Sonic Chair is an island of relaxation or a work place in itself,” says Stühn. This is due to the impeccable sound isolation of the chair. In fact, while the chair turns into an acoustic island for the person sitting in it, its sound is not audible for others in the same room, making it the perfect solution for busy work spaces. Initially commissioned by a bank in the South of Germany the project was to rein-
vent the bank’s youth area, where children were to play interactively without disturbing other customers. “In 2006, we first thought about a beach chair design with built-in speakers, but soon went on to experiment with a circular body,” explains Fritzlar. Based on these experiments, a first prototype was constructed with a bodyborne sound membrane, a 2.1 system and two-coloured padding. After continuous developments regarding the audio technology, the Sonic Chair is now at version 3.1, with the opportunity to choose between a built-in iMac, tablet or desk. Everything is handmade in Cologne and the company is constantly engaging with technology companies to stay on top of trends like virtual reality and of course, the latest audio innovations. www.sonic-chair.com