During my visit to the Stockholm Furniture Fair last week I discovered this elegant table collection at the stand of the Swedish firm Berga 'Form, specialized in outdoor furniture. The pieces have a metallic structure and are made with hydraulic tiles from Marrakech design; and how could it be otherwise Marrakech is the name that identifies them.
The tables are designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune, a multidisciplinary team of architects who also stand out for their industrial design pieces (every self-respecting Nordic firm includes CKR in its catalog). They themselves created the tile collection for the Marrakech design company last year: Founded in 2006 by the couple Inga-Lill and PA Ovin, the company produces encaustic cement tiles according to the hydraulic techniques that were created in France at the end of the XNUMXth century , although all its production is carried out mainly in Morocco.
The tiles are made by hand in a mixture of Portland cement (very fine), sand, marble dust, water, salt and 3 or 4 mm color pigments. thick. These pigments provide a finish chalk-like as if a whitewash had been applied to the pieces. It is important to emphasize the fact that each tile is unique and therein lies its natural appeal: Small imperfections at the edges, uneven corners and the fuzzy finish of the patterns give a special patina to the drawings and when they are placed on a surface it is filled with subtle nuances.
The CKR team has designed 3 different models with 11 color variations, inspired by the traditional arabic geometry but keeping its essential and refined Scandinavian spirit. Depending on how each pattern is placed, it can create different "micro-patterns" with random possibilities. Thus, the Casa series makes it possible to form linear borders or abstract and dynamic drawings.
Dandelion is also a hexagonal series, but the lattice can be arranged in the shape of a herringbone or in the form of large clovers. As the designers themselves comment: «The extensive system of arrangement is somewhat complicated to express in words, but obvious to the eye«.
The Stone series is where the typical chalk finish to which we alluded earlier is best appreciated, and despite being the collection with the fewest options when it comes to assembly, it is the one that has obtained the most success for being a more commercial design. Marrakech design always insists on indicating that the variations between tiles are eliminated with the use and cleaning, and just as it happens with the Moroccan stucco Tadelakt the passage of time enriches its appearance in beauty, refinement and warmth.
More information - Plastering with Tadelakt, an ancient technique that returns 1
Fountains - Marrakech design, Berga 'Form, CKR
How cool!
How beautiful and how showy.