2_0_DiscoverGermany_April15_Issue25:Scan Magazine 1
20/3/15
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Floating design that is almost invisible Celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, Berlin based linea1 became a household name amongst the design-savvy. The ultra light and thin sheet steel creations are reduced to the bare minimum, offering a puristic and sleek silhouette while being highly functional. TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: LINEA1
Architects Irina Jurasic and Francesco Apuzzo are partners in private and in work. When they moved in together, a vast number of books and other things needed to be stored nicely. Classic wooden bookshelves were out of the question. The creative couple experimented heavily with different materials, before a suitable solution with sheet steel was found.The material allowed being folded with precision, met the duo’s aesthetic demands and – most important – was light and airy. Shortly after the prototype was created, orders from friends and fellow students soon exceeded the 100 mark. “It was some earlier sort of crowd-
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funding, ” Jurasic recalls, and continues: “Orders just kept pouring in, so we decided to establish our own company.”The iconic paperback and DVD shelf, which magically seems to be floating along the wall, was inspiration for the design of a magazine rack, a cd shelf, a wall coat rack, a ring binder shelf, even a table and a lamp, which all became part of the linea1 product family. “Unlike furniture, our products are not obtrusive, they discreetly enhance the walls and help to display and organise the many objects we are surrounded by,” Jurasic ex-
plains. Sharp and easy at the same time, the sustainable and eco-friendly linea1 creations are stunning to look at and have been featured in numerous interior design magazines. The best way to absorb the sheer beauty of the puristic designs is a trip to the linea1 showroom. Located in the vibrant Berlin Mitte district, the exhibition in Ackerstraße 165 is just a stone’s throw away from the Berlin Wall Memorial and right in the heart of the German capital. Asked about news for 2015, the couple reveals: “We want to further explore the possibilities of blending metal and wood, just like we did with the everyday table. Maybe a bed.“ www.linea1.de