Discover Germany | Special Theme | Swiss Design Highlights

Copper bowl KYA, limited edition. Photo: Daniela Kienzler

Aspire First Class Lounge, Zurich Airport. Photo: Martin Jakl

Cathay Lounge, Zurich Airport. Photo: Daniela Kienzler

Creativity has no limits Swiss architecture firm Raum B is firmly established within the airport sector, but the team around founder Daniela Saxer also designs furniture and even porcelain. Their holistic approach is not only unique but also allows for a coherent design language throughout a project.

A bold yet successful decision, Saxer remembers:“The very first job happened by chance and we found ourselves designing for Zurich airport. Since then our team has designed many first and business class lounges for different airlines at Zurich airport and recently at Geneva airport.” Step by step, Saxer and her team started to venture out into furniture and porcelain design. Understanding that small details can have a huge impact helped Raum B to 28 | Issue 43 | October 2016

KYA porcelain series. Photo: Daniela Kienzler

centre of their work is always the dialogue between client and architect.

TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE

Daniela Saxer has always been ambitious. Not only did she study architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) but also at the school of architecture in Ahmedabad, India. Straight after her graduation in 2005, she founded Raum B (Room B), her very own architectural office.

Daniela Saxer. Photo: Daniela Kienzler

work in a comprehensive manner, setting them apart from traditional architectural offices. “We love to shift between scales,” explains Saxer passionately.“We design architectural concepts for airports, but at the end our furniture and porcelain will also be part of it. It is a wonderful feeling, which also keeps forcing us to change perspective.” She thinks for a moment and adds: “We discovered something significant during the last years. The larger scale does not always influence the smaller one, it can also work the other way around. Small things can have an astonishing effect.” Aside from their expertise of airport lounges, Raum B also designs for other companies and private clients. At the

Raum B has received many awards and nominations for their concepts and furniture, such as the Good Design award 2014 given by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design for their sofa ‘Sofie’. One of their recent projects is the prestigious Aspire Lounge at the Zurich airport and the office expansion for Intep at a former industrial quarter, where the material’s sustainability plays a prominent role. Evidently, Raum B thrives on challenges and knows how to think outside the box. This approach will certainly continue to lead them to international success. www.raumb.ch