Glass fibre. Concrete. Shape.

concret e

urban desi gn
gl ass f i bre concret e
boomer one
boomer t wo
waver
pat o
st ones
arpa
osa
l ounger
shor t y
t abl oo
ki rk
Concrete

Urban Design
Desi gners are al ways i n search of somet hi ng
speci al . A t hought i nspi res an i dea t hat l eads
t o a draf t and t hen resul t s i n a model . However,
a st rong par t ner i s requi red f or i t s real i sat i on.
Thi s par t ner was qui ckl y f ound once t he l and-
scape archi t ect s of real grn were awarded wi t h
t he t ender t o desi gn t he Arnul f park i n Muni ch.
Toget her we desi gned an urban park l andscape
consi st i ng of a pl ayground and an advent ure
area, of pl ayi ng wal l s and pl ayground el ement s,
of f reel y combi nabl e seat i ng bubbl es and park
f urni t ure. The Arpa seat i ng bench was born,
and wi t h i t t he Concret e

Urban Desi gn concept .

Conc r et e

Ur ba n Des i gn ma r ks t he col l abor at i on

of des i gner s , a r chi t ec t s a nd l a nds c ape a r chi t ec t s
i n combi nat i on wi t h wi t h our k now-how. And of
our cour age t o r ea l i s e des i gn i dea s whi ch ha r dl y
a nybody da r ed t o t ack l e. We a r e t ur ni ng i nt o
r ea l i t y ever yt hi ng t hat i s f ea s i bl e. Wi t h c ur i -
os i t y, ent hus i a s m a nd pa s s i on. We a r e pour i ng
t he des i gner s v i s i ons i nt o conc r et e i nt o gl a s s
f i br e conc r et e. And a r e t hus cont r i but i ng t o gi ve
a uni que l ook a l s o t o publ i c s pace. Conc r et e

Ur ba n Des i gn i s s t r i k i ng a new pat h wi t h t hi s
concept . And wi l l cont i nue t o do s o.
Good material only unfolds its
full potential in a perfect shape.
Kornelius Hauber,
Production Manager Glass Fibre Concrete Division
Glass Fibre Concrete
For t he past 20 years we have been i nt ensi vel y
deal i ng wi t h gl ass f i bre concret e. Li ke onl y a
f ew i n Germany we l earned t o produce a great
vari et y of shapes, col ours and sur f aces out
of t hi s wonder f ul mat eri al . And what s best :
so-cal l ed gl ass f i bre f i l ament s are repl aci ng
convent i onal st eel rei nf orcement . That way we
can produce ext remel y t hi n-wal l ed and compl ex
obj ect s. Thi s adds zest t o t he cont radi ct i on of
t hi s ext raordi nar y f urni t ure - what comes al ong
as sol i d and massi ve at f i rst gl ance at t he same
t i me appears t o be l i ght , even f l oat i ng.
Dur i ng t he pr oduc t i on pr oces s t he gl a s s f i br e
conc r et e i s a l l owed t o mat ur e j us t l i ke good
chees e f or a per i od of 20 days , wi t hout dr aught
a nd at cons t a nt t emper at ur es a nd wi t h a f f ec t i on-
at e c a r e. I n t he end t he s ur f ace wi l l be r ef i n-
i shed, wa shed a nd i mpr egnat ed. Thi s ma kes
t he obj ec t s s ur f ace weat her-pr oof a nd gi ves i t
i t s r ough vel vet y t ext ur e. Gl a s s f i br e conc r et e
i s a nat ur a l pr oduc t . Col our i s not appl i ed but
added a s a pi gment i ns t ead, whi ch dyes t he
mat r i x. Fur ni t ur e made of gl a s s f i br e conc r et e
abs or bs moi s t ur e whi ch i t t hen r el ea s es . The
pi eces of f ur ni t ur e a r e qui ck l y adj us t i ng t o t he
a mbi ent t emper at ur e a nd a r e wa r mi ng up i n t he
s un wher ea s obj ec t s made of convent i ona l s ol i d
conc r et e wi l l r ema i n col d f or qui t e a l ong t i me.
Gl a s s f i br e conc r et e i s a l i v i ng mat t er wi nd a nd
weat her, humi di t y a nd s unl i ght a r e ever cha ngi ng
i t s s ur f ace s t r uc t ur e , but not i t s s ubs t a nce. Fur-
ni t ur e of gl as s f i br e conc r et e i s s t yl i sh a nd ha s
s t r engt h of cha r ac t er. Not even t he yea r s pa s s i ng
coul d do i t a ny ha r m.
Play is mans first poetry.
Jean Paul
boomer one
boomer one | boomer two
boomer i s sensuous i n ever y respect ; ri ch of cont rast s i n shape and ef f ect . The organi cal l y f l oat i ng shape wi t h a pre-
ci se cl osure i s remi ndi ng us of a st ret ched t orso on t he one hand, and on t he ot her t here i s t he mat eri al t hat seems t o
be so hard. Present but reser ved at t he same t i me, organi c and sof t , even f ragi l e, boomer i s nur t uri ng t he not i on of
growi ng and f l oat i ng.
Wi t h boomer one a nd boomer t wo t he des i gner s not onl y devel oped a pi ece of s eat i ng f ur ni t ur e but a l s o a s c ul pt ur e t hat
v i v i dl y appr oaches a nd f ol l ows a mbi ent a nd wav i ng shapes , f i t t i ng snugl y t o t hem a nd cont i nui ng t hei r mot i on. Never t he-
l es s boomer i s a l s o s t a ndi ng on i t s own, appea r s t o be j ov i a l a nd decent a nd i nv i t es you t o chi l l out a nd l i nger. For t hi s
ni che boomer i s meet i ng r equi r ement s way beyond a ny s t a nda r ds what s oever. Gl a s s f i br e conc r et e conv i nced t he des i gn-
er s wi t h i t s s ol i dnes s , a k i n i n cha r ac t er a nd nat ur e t o s t one , a nd wi t h i t s s c ul pt abi l i t y, pur i t y a nd uni que hapt i c s .
desi gn boomer one and boomer t wo
El ke Berger
St udi o B l andscape archi t ect ure and
Norman Her wi g,
Archi t ect
Desi gn has t he t ask t o bri ng i n a harmoni ous shape al l programmat i c
speci f i cat i ons and obj ect i ves t hat have an ef f ect on a proj ect .
El ke Berger
The desi gn of a basi c commodi t y ri ght t o t he poi nt of urban desi gn i s t ri g-
geri ng a range of f eel i ngs wi t hi n al l of us. A good desi gn makes sure t hese
are posi t i ve.
Norman Her wi g
boomer two
Every communication has content and a relationship aspect,
so that the latter determines the former.
Paul Watzlawick
waver
Wi t h waver we creat ed a scul pt ural sol ut i on of gl ass f i bre concret e t hat i s doi ng wi t hout vi si bl y st ruct ural det ai l s. I n-
st ead, waver broadens t he sensor y percept i on of a t hree-di mensi onal pi ece of f urni t ure by an audi t or y moment . There-
f ore an approach i s not onl y possi bl e when si t t i ng or l yi ng but now al so wi t h t he ears.
For t he des i gner s of s i na i des i gni ng of obj ec t s i s t he cons equence of a n i nt ens i ve exa mi nat i on of publ i c s pace or ur ba n
pl a nni ng. I n t hi s r es pec t des i gni ng of obj ec t s i s a l ways s er v i ng a n over a l l des i gn. Wi t h waver t he i dea of a s pea k i ng
pi ece of f ur ni t ur e whi ch or i gi nat ed whi l e wor k i ng on a dr a f t f or t he Ca mpus of t he r egi ona l f l ower show i n As cher sl e-
ben i n 2010 i s t a k i ng shape , i ns pi r ed by t he l ea f of t he Ol ea r i a Ar bor es cens , a n ever gr een bush pl a nt f r om t he l owl a nds of
New Zea l a nd s Nor t h I sl a nd. The des i gner s of s i na i devel oped i t s cha r ac t er i s t i c shape f r om a s er i es of dr a f t el ement s t o a
geomet r i c a l l y va r yi ng shape t hat wa s equi pped wi t h a n audi o s ys t em.
desi gn waver
A.W. Faust
si nai .
Gesel l schaf t von Landschaf t sarchi t ekt en mbH
Berl i n
No desi gn, whet her ambi t i oned or not , i s wi t hout a st at ement .
Ever y shape has i nt ent i onal l y or uni nt ent i onal l y a spi ri t ual
cont ent .
A.W. Faust
pato, design Eva Rudolph
Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.
Albert Einstein
stone, pato
A cut pebbl e i n a wat er y creek bed st roki ng and rubbi ng i t af f ect i onat el y i s not onl y somet hi ng f or a chi l ds hand.
St one i s t aki ng up t he f ami l i ar shape and i s creat i ng a di st ressi ng but never t hel ess f asci nat i ng di mensi on. Just as i f i t
were an appeal i ng i nvi t at i on t o t ake a seat , i nt erconnect and communi cat e, cont empl at e and rel ax.
Pl eas e t ouch! St one i s a ha nd- cha r mi ng t ouchs t one i n XL f or mat , s pec t ac ul a r l y di mens i oned a nd yet s o l i ght wei ght . It s
nat ur a l l ook a nd t he r ough vel vet y s ur f ace a r e showi ng t he gl a s s f i br e conc r et e s except i ona l v i s ua l appea r a nce a nd hapt i c s
t o t hei r ver y bes t adva nt age. St ones a r e i nt r oduc i ng new accent s i ndoor s a nd out door s , f or pl ayi ng, l yi ng or s i t t i ng. Or
s i mpl y j us t a s a n eye- c a ndy; on t he pl aygr ound, i n t he pa r k or i n your own ga r den.
Pat o, a f l ower t r ough i n a c apt i vat i ng s t yl i s t i c shape s i mpl e yet not t oo domi na nt i s ava i l abl e i n va r i ous s i zes a nd col -
our s .
desi gn st one, pat o
Eva Rudol ph
I ndependent archi t ect
Li ndenberg
Duri ng my desi gn process t he l i nes bet ween archi t ect ure and de-
si gn become bl urred. That way spat i al sol ut i ons are creat ed wi t h a
cl ear harmony t hat l i nk t he i nt eri or wi t h t he ext eri or.
Eva Rudol ph
Form is sedimented content.
Theodor W. Adorno
arpa
Harmoni si ng shape and f unct i on det ermi nes t he charact er of t he real grn l andscape archi t ect s ar t i st i c vi si on. I t s
consi st ent real i sat i on i s ref l ect ed i n t he Arpa seat i ng bench. The concept ual desi gn of t he compl ex t hree-di mensi onal
shape of t he hol l ow concret e body equal l y meet s t he demand f or f unct i onal i t y, ergonomi cs and modul ari t y. The mat e-
ri al s robust ness and durabi l i t y, i t s comf or t abl e sur f ace hapt i cs and t he gl ass f i bre concret es shades of col ours are
compl et i ng t hi s t ri ad.
The c r uc i a l f ac t or wa s a cont r ac t f or a pa r k i n Muni ch. Rea l gr n l a nds c ape a r chi t ec t s devel oped t he pa r k s des i gn f r om
t he concept ua l i dea of s t r ea ms of mot i on. Ther eof r es ul t ed, a mong ot her t hi ngs , c ur ved dyna mi c shapes a nd cour s es . Of
cour s e , t he des i gned s eat i ng el ement s had t o be s ubor di nat ed t o bot h t he a r t i s t i c v i s i on a nd t he col our concept t hat wa s
r educed t o whi t e a nd yel l ow. A pi ece of f ur ni t ur e of f t he shel f t her ef or e wa s out of t he ques t i on. The l ayout of l i nes
of t hi s pa r k s a r chi t ec t ur e , i t s col our i ng a nd shapi ng i s f i ndi ng i t s di r ec t cont i nuat i on i n Ar pa . Wher ever c l ea r l i nes a r e
domi nat i ng Ar pa i s a l ways pl ea s i ng t he eye be i t out door s wi t h a wooden s eat or i ndoor s wi t h s eat s of l eat her or of
whi t e Cor i a n.
desi gn arpa
Kl aus-D. Neumann and Wol f D. Auch
real grn l andscape archi t ect s
Muni ch
For us, desi gn means concept ual shapi ng not onl y i n publ i c space. The obj ect i ve:
shape and f unct i on i n per f ect harmony.
Kl aus-D. Neumann, Wol f D. Auch
Tradition is the handing down of the ame and
not the worshipping of ashes.
Gustav Mahler
osa
Desi gn i s great when i t makes sense and i s beaut i f ul . Osa count s t o t hose t hi ngs you want t o t ouch because t he el e-
ment s are beaut i f ul . Just l i ke a dream car whi ch nobody can pass by wi t hout sof t l y st roki ng i t s pai nt wi t h t he hand.
Osa i s mul t i f unct i onal . Thi s makes sense. Si mpl y good desi gn.
Os a i s t he r es ul t of t he s ea r ch f or a huge pi ece of c i t y f ur ni t ur e t hat had t o uni t e s ever a l f unc t i ons . Ther ef or e t he
os a des i gner s devel oped a conc r et e bench of a l engt h of about f i ve met r es wi t h s eat i ng s pace a nd wooden s eat s . Os a i s
va nda l i s m-pr oof a nd a l s o pr ov i des s pace f or t he c i t y s br ochur es a nd i nf or mat i on f or t our i s t s . The bench i s modul a r a nd
c a n be a r r a nged a r ound a t r ee s o t hat i t s nat ur a l shade c a n be us ed. Wi t h a n i nnovat i ve connec t or s ys t em t he i ndi v i dua l
modul es a r e i nv i s i bl y l i nked j us t l i ke Lego br i cks . And what s bes t : s pot s under a gl a s s cover i n t he r eces s a r e s ubmer gi ng
t he t r ee t r op i nt o s ubdued l i ght dur i ng t he ni ght . Os a i s i ndi v i dua l yet l es s expens i ve t ha n a s t a nda r d pi ece of f ur ni t ur e
a per f ec t s ymbi os i s of des i gn, f unc t i on a nd economi c v i abi l i t y.
desi gn osa
Frank Prochi ner
Muni t ec GmbH
Reut l i ngen
I l ove t o ent er new pat hs and devel op sol ut i ons.
I am not real l y i nt erest ed i n creat i ng somet hi ng wi t hout
f unct i on.
Sun lounger, Chair shorty, Table tabloo
Characteristic of man is what is natural to him.
Kurt Tucholsky
lounger, shorty, tabloo
Wi t h t he concept f or t he ensembl e of l ounger, shor t y and t abl oo t he desi gner i s movi ng about border areas. Thi s t ri o
appears t o be t hi n as paper wi t h cl ear and preci se l i nes and yet i s st rong and sol i d. Wi t h a vi vi dness as l i ght as a
f eat her cast i n concret e.
Ca n a l ounger made of conc r et e be comf or t abl e? Yes , i t c a n, i f t he shape f ol l ows ma n s cont our s l i ke t he l ounger s c ur ves
do. The cha i r Shor t y t a kes up t hi s l i ne a nd t he f l exi bl e s t eel l eg empha s i zes i t s l i ght nes s , ma kes i t even f l oat i ng; a nd
gent l e s wayi ng movement s ma ke you f or get s i t t i ng on s uch a heav y a nd ma s s i ve pi ece of f ur ni t ur e. For t hei r des i gner t he
f a s c i nat i on i s i n t hi s cont r adi c t i on pi eces of f ur ni t ur e made of gl as s f i br e conc r et e a r e f i ne , yet r ough chaps . They a r e
t i mel es s obj ec t s t hat peopl e s t i l l wi l l be f ond of a f t er yea r s .
desi gn l ounger, shor t y, t abl oo
Ren Hol t en
ren hol t en i ndust ri al desi gn & product devel opment
Maast ri cht , Net herl ands
Desi gn needs a cl ear shape. I t has t o be f unct i onal yet appeal i ng,
f asci nat i ng and, of course, aest het i c. I t i s t he resul t when ever y-
t hi ng goes t oget her; i s l i ke i t shoul d be.
Ren Hol t en
We are here on a peaceful mission!
Captain Kirk
kirk desi gn Ren Hol t en
Ki r k s eems l i ke a f l yi ng s aucer a nd i t s na me ,
of cour s e , br i ngs back memor i es of t he l eg-
enda r y USS Ent er pr i s e a nd i t s comma nder.
On t he f i r s t gl a nce t he cha i r s eems t o be
s omewhat ma s s i ve but never t hel es s appea r s
t o be l i ght , l i ke f l oat i ng on i t s s pi der l egs
of s t eel . Si t t i ng t her ei n conveys a f eel i ng of
pr i vac y, pr ot ec t ed by i t s shape a nd r i chnes s
of mat er i a l , j us t a s i f i t wer e a n i sl a nd, a ver y
s pec i a l pl ace.
Chair kirk, Design Ren Holten
concret e
ur ban desi gn
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