Studio Marcel Wanders- 15 Iconic Projects

Marcel Wanders is a product and interior designer who has won international acclaim for his unique contemporary decorating style. Marcel’s mission is “to create an environment of love, to live with passion, and to make our most exciting dreams come true.” The studio is shaping the design industry with a more romantic and humanistic design thinking, respecting the diversity of the past and culture. Marcel often combines innovative materials and techniques with references to well-known historical styles and archetypes, so users can easily connect to these pieces and enjoy them for a long time, creating a sustainable environment. Marcel’s interiors have also received international acclaim for their sense of drama and excellent use of space and texture.

Let’s explore famous products by Studio Marcel Wanders:

1) Marcel Wanders Knotted Chair 

Launched in 1996, the project has a place in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the V&A Museum in London and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. The Knotted Chair is a wonderful adult interpretation of the small chairs used to decorate dollhouses.

2) Ponte Sofa

Marcel designed sofas that are easy to assemble and disassemble, making them suitable for modern homes and lifestyles. “We have a new audience today: this generation is always on the move,” explained the designer. The sofa is built on a metal frame that can be folded and disassembled for easy transport and then assembled without tools.

3) Hubble Bubble Light | Marcel Wanders

Gabriele Chiave, creative director of Marcel Wanders Studio, said: “Hubble Bubble captures those carefree moments of youth, blowing soap bubbles that drift aimlessly away.” To keep its uncluttered design, the light uses a technology called Electrosandwich, originally developed by Wanders. 

4) Raymond Lamp

“The idea is that it has an outer shell and an inner shell made of metal,” explains Wanders. “The larger sphere has positive [current], the smaller sphere in the middle is negative. The LED lights separate the two spheres and make sure they don’t touch.”

5) Carbon Chair | Marcel Wanders

The chair’s legs are also made of carbon fibre and epoxy, and they are screwed to the bottom of the seat – the only metal part in the entire chair. “This makes it more economical and environmentally friendly to stack and transport the two things,” explained Wanders.

6) Egg-shaped objects at the OPAM Museum in Japan

Looking closely at the artwork, the floral pattern reminds the visitor of nature’s cycles and the inevitable passage of time. At the same time, the designer combined abstract facial representations with his floral motifs to illustrate the death of humans. The works on display symbolize the cultural union and exchange between the Netherlands and Japan.

7) Crazy Chair

With its harmonious wrapping lines, this armchair is also perfect for bedrooms.

8) Dove | Marcel Wanders

Width: 118 cm
Height: 83cm
Depth: 71cm
Maximum weight load: 110Kg

One of the largest and most important design awards in the world. The striking swivel base is finished in black chromed metal with a convenient return function. The elegant silhouette of a dove. Elegantly recalling its Italian heritage on the one hand and cosmopolitan on the other, Dove is the new icon of lightness and edgy – and a charming centerpiece of any living space.

9) Air Snot Vase

This piece is the world’s first 3D-printed product. It’s super high-tech, and we won a WIRED Technology Award for it. Think back to 2001; people didn’t even think about 3D printing. At the time, it was called rapid prototyping. We were the first to make a product this way, which was pretty cool then.

10) VIP Chair | Marcel Wanders

The VIP chair was specially designed for Expo 2000 in Hannover. Elegant flared legs hide an unexpected feature that can travel across the room, making it the perfect chair for any meeting, meeting or even dinner.

11) Alessi Circus

The “Alessi Circus” collection consists of 29 products from the Alessi catalogue and 5 limited edition Officina Alessi pieces, each representing a circus character. The core of the family is made of stainless steel and embellished with original decorations from Alessi’s Crusinallo factory. Welded bars, bone china and glass are also used.

This set of tableware and home accessories embodies Marcel Wanders’ approach to circus magic and opens the way for a completely original expression, full of colour and life. The dazzling lights on the stage, the brilliant costume colours, and the thrill of the carousel are just some of the experiences that Marcel Wanders recreates through a series of stunning objects.

12) Monster Chair

The iconic version, the fearless leader of the Monster family, is trimmed in Moooi Original Black Synthetic leather with an embroidered face.

13) Blossom | Marcel Wanders

Blossom is a truly striking series of large ceramic panels designed by studio Marcel Wanders to celebrate the majesty of nature and the dynamism of blooming flowers.

14) Container Table New Antiques

The table is made of lightweight material that’s easy to move around, but once you find its place and you fill your feet with sand or pebbles, it’s full of strength and stability. A modern minimalist tabletop compliments a round, decorative foot shape, creating a perfect fusion between past and present, decorative and functional.

15) Space Frame | Marcel Wanders

Marcel Wanders’ Space-frame has the same refined freedom, unencumbered or restricted by cables, and goes a step further by claiming complete independence. Its solid architectural frame, a geometric mesh of light metal wires and transparent lights, is suspended on a hinge that allows it to change positions in space.

Citation: 

• Happy 50th, Marcel Wanders (no date) Design Indaba. 

• The wonders of Wanders: Interview with Marcel Wanders (2018) UDesign. 

• BID (2018) 5 iconic pieces of Marcel Wanders, Best Interior Designers. 

• (No date g) Poliform.it. 

• Mol, S. (2016) marcel wanders’ inflatable egg-shaped objects at OPAM museum in japan, designboom | architecture & design magazine. Designboom. 

• Tucker, E. et al. (no date) Marcel Wanders, Dezeen. 
• https://www.archiproducts.com/en/news/alessi-circus-by-marcel-wanders_54415

Image Citation:

1. Image 1_ Knotted Chair, Droog, 1995_ Marcel Wanders. (1932). Knotted Chair, Droog, 1995. [Photograph}
2. Image 2_ Ponte sofa by Marcel Wanders for Basta_ Ponte sofa by Marcel Wanders for Basta (2020) Dezeen. 
3. Image 3_ Hubble Bubble light by Marcel Wanders for Moooi_Hubble Bubble light by Marcel Wanders for Moooi (2020) Dezeen.
4. Image 4_Moooi creates floor-standing version of “beautiful and iconic” Raimond lamp_ Hobson, B. (2016).Moooi creates floor-standing version of “beautiful and iconic” Raimond lamp, Dezeen. [Photograph]
5. Image 5_ Carbon Chair_ Bertjan Pot. (2004). Carbon Chair. [Photograph]
6. Image 6_ Beautiful inflatable egg- shaped objects by Marcel Wanders_ Beautiful inflatable egg-shaped objects by Marcel Wanders – Jury Design (no date) Jurydesign.co.nz. 
7. Image 7_ MAD CHAIR I Trestle-based armchair By Poliform_ (No date b) Archiproducts.com. 
8. Image 8_ dove_ (No date e) Natuzzi.com. 
9. Image 9_ Air born snotty vase_ Air born snotty vase (no date) Toolsgalerie.com. 
10. Image 10_ V.I.P Chair Moooi _ V.I.p. chair moooi (no date) Milia Shop.
11. Image 11_ V.I.P Chair Moooi _ V.I.p. chair moooi (no date) Milia Shop. 
12. Image 12_ Alessi Circus by Marcel Wanders_ (No date c) Archiproducts.com. 
13. Image 13_ Monster Chair (Set of 7 unique designs)_ Monster Chair (Set of 7 unique designs) – Marcel Wanders Boutique (no date) Marcelwanders.com.
14. Image 14_ Devon & Devon_ (No date f) Archiproducts.com. 
15. Image 15_ Container Table New Antiques_ (No date d) Moooi.com. 
16. Image 16_ Space-Frame_ Imagativ, L. S. G. and Heinsman, M. (no date) Lighting suspension, 100mileny.com.