< Previous68 | VON POLL IMMOBILIEN © Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash With luxurious care products, fragrant ingredients and fluffy towels, the bathroom can transform into a private wellness oasis – just perfect for unwinding and leaving everyday life behind. HOME SPA MOMENTS OF PURE RELAXATIONVON POLL REAL ESTATE | 69 Lifestyle Candle “Replica” by Maison Margiela via flaconi.de, approx. €175 Bathrobe “Pienni Unikko” by Marimekko via connox.de, approx. €157 Hand and body cleansing gel by Maison Francis Kurkdjian via flaconi.de, approx. €70 Diffuser sticks “Luce Di Colonia” by Acqua di Parma via flaconi.de, approx. €92 Eye cream “Pure Gold Radiance” from La Prairie via flaconi.de, approx. €610 Luxury towel “Grace” by Luiz via raumconceptstore.com, approx. €20970 | VON POLL IMMOBILIEN Eames & Vitra FOREVER MODERN EAMES & VITRA: PIONEERING DESIGN ICONSVON POLL REAL ESTATE | 71 Loremipsum Timeless, visionary, full of enthusiasm for experimentation: Ray and Charles Eames, together with Vitra, set the course for a new understanding of design. Their creations combined comfort with innovation – and they became classics that still characterise our image of modern living today. E xperiments with plywood and fibreglass gave rise to a new design language. With Vitra as a partner, these designs became furniture clas- sics that have long since become icons of mod- ern living. But their collaboration went beyond mere products: it stood for a shared conviction of what de- sign can achieve. Design as a pledge This conviction went far beyond shapes and materials. For Ray and Charles Eames, design was always a pledge: functional, beautiful and meaningful at the same time. Their designs shaped 20th-century aesthetics and still do so today. Known for their inexhaust- ible creativity, the designer couple cre- ated furniture, films, exhibitions and architectural concepts – always with the aim of making design accessible to all. The start of a special partnership It was a partnership that made histo- ry: in 1953, Willi Fehlbaum, founder of the Swiss furniture company Vitra, dis- covered a chair designed by the Eames couple during a trip to the United i Vitra Eames Lounge Chair When, in reference to the design process for the Lounge Chair, Charles Eames was asked “Did the Eames Chair come to you in a flash of inspiration?”, he replied, “Yes, in a kind of 30-year flash of inspiration.” By this he meant that he and his wife Ray had incorporated all the experience they had gained from their other designs into their creation of the Lounge Chair.72 | VON POLL IMMOBILIEN „ THE MOST OF THE BEST TO THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE FOR THE LEAST.“VON POLL REAL ESTATE | 73 States – and was immediately intrigued. Four years later, he visited them in their legendary Eames House in Los Angeles. What followed wasn’t just a business partnership, but a cross-generational relationship that continues to this day. Since 1957, Vitra has been producing the Eames classics for Europe – not only pre- serving the duo’s legacy, but also inter- preting it for a new era. Joy and responsibility – the Eames principle The central idea is always that good design can improve life. For Ray and Charles Eames, design was not an end in itself. They saw their work as contribut- ing to a better world: pragmatic, playful and, at the same time, well thought out. Their motto “Take your pleasure seri- ously” sums it up perfectly: it’s all about combining the enjoyment of design with responsibility. Vitra today: innovation with attitude This principle remains the foundation of Vitra’s philosophy to this very day. As a third-generation family business based in Weil am Rhein near Basel, Vit- ra is committed to innovation with atti- tude. Under the management of Nora Eames & Vitra i Eames Plastic Side Chair “The most of the best to the greatest number of people for the least.” This is how Ray and Charles Eames described one of their key goals as furniture designers. No other design has come as close to this ideal as their Plastic Chairs. The basic idea of a one-piece, ergonomically shaped seat shell occupied the designer couple for many years. After experiments with plywood and aluminium sheet in the 1940s had failed to produce satisfactory results, they came across fibreglass-reinforced polyester resin while searching for alternative materials.74 | VON POLL IMMOBILIEN Eames & Vitra Vitra has managed not only to preserve the cultural heritage of the designer couple, but also to keep it alive. With passion and technical expertise, furniture is be- ing produced that will endure for decades, both aes- thetically and functionally, such as the Eames Plastic Chairs, developed in the 1940s. Back then, the Eameses were experimenting with new materials and found the perfect solution for their idea of a one-piece seat shell: fibreglass-reinforced polyester resin. These days, Vitra makes these chairs from recycled plastic – eco-friendly and in numerous shapes and colours. Good design for everyone Ray and Charles Eames were always ahead of their time. They dreamed of a world in which sophisticated design wasn’t reserved for just a few people, but benefited many. “The most of the best to the greatest number of people for the least” was their maxim. In this spirit, Vitra continues to stand for design that inspires, con- nects and creates new perspectives – at home, at work or in public spaces. Enduring design Fehlbaum, the company consistently focuses on sustainability and social re- sponsibility: recycled materials, recy- clable products and the use of European woods such as cherry, chestnut and wal- nut have long been standard practice. Icons for new times Even iconic designs such as the Eames Lounge Chair are being further devel- oped – not in the sense of some fashion- able adaptation, but through thought- ful redesign. Recently, it’s become possible to combine wooden shells, covers and bases individually – for a product that’s as unique as its owner. The essence remains the same: timeless elegance, ergonomic comfort and the finest quality. Functionality and sustainability Working closely with the Eames Office, The VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein: an iconic building and centre of the Vitra Home Collection.VON POLL REAL ESTATE | 75 Loremipsum What unites Vitra and the Eames is more than just a joint product catalogue. It’s a shared understanding of how spaces influence our thoughts and actions – and how design can contribute to a better quality of life. The furniture, homes and ideas that have emerged from this combination are therefore not only classics, but true cultural icons: modern, durable and mean- ingful. i Eames Plywood Elephant Starting in the early 1940s, Ray and Charles Eames developed and refined the technique of three- dimensional plywood moulding using it to create a variety of furniture and sculptures. Among these early designs, the two-part elephant with its tight compound curves was the most challenging to manufacture and didn’t go into series production. After issuing a limited edition in 2007, Vitra commenced serial production of the legendary Eames Elephant in plywood for the first time in 2017. FOREVER MODERN – THAT’S NOT JUST A SLOGAN. IT’S AN ATTITUDE.76 | VON POLL IMMOBILIEN © Photo by Mathilde Langevin on Unsplash Marble unfolds its effect particularly well in combination with materials such as wood or metal. This fusion emphasises the natural strength of the stone and gives furniture and decorative elements an unique expressiveness. NOBLE HARMONY MARBLE FUSIONVON POLL REAL ESTATE | 77 Wohnideen Wooden sideboard “Zumi” via westwing.de, approx. €1,599 Cuboid platform by H&M Home, approx. €149 Table lamp “Gia” via westwing.de, approx. €159 Sideboard “Bruce” via westwing.de, approx. €1,499 Metal pedestal by H&M Home, approx. €79.99Next >