Marcel Wanders is one of the leading product and interior designers, and in his creative lab in Amsterdam, the world’s design capital, his team has so far created more than 1,900 iconic products and interior design experiences around the world.
Trained at the Design Academy Eindhoven and graduating from the Arnhem Academy of Art, Wanders evolved from his most outstanding 1996 work, The Knotted Chair, which is now on permanent display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Currently serving as the Art Director of Mooi, a design brand co-founded in 2001, Wanders continues to inspire and challenge the world around him.
Led by director Gabriele Chiave Wanders, Studio Marcel Wanders, with 52 design and communication experts, recently celebrated its 27th anniversary at some of the most prominent art and design museums, including the Centre Pompidou, France; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Oita Prefectural Museum of Art, JP.
A Master In The Sphere Of Design, Marcel Wander’s Creative Process
According to Marcel, Interiors are boring if one conceptualizes them. Instead, one really has to bring them to life and have more time to be involved in the creation, as well as experience the designs. It’s more like creating a musical work – like an opera – because he found that all these different aspects have to work together. Sometimes when one takes the order out and allows a little chaos to make it come alive and go beyond yourself, things really become active.
Inspiration Of Creating A Strong Sense Of Durability And Sustainability In Marcel’s Design
Marcel wishes to create a world that is ready for greater durability and sustainability. He wants to create a world with human objects and environments which are more personal, more romantic, and less boring. Whether they come in the form of an idea or a product, there are different ways of working on the same topic.’ Inspiration is always there; he doesn’t have to look for it. He just has to follow this logic and his personal thoughts.
“I felt it was truly an honour and also our responsibility to really bring the parts of the surrounding areas into the design. When we are able to incorporate the local culture and natural beauty of a region it allows the furniture to then create a sense of place.”- Marcel Wanders
The perfect detail in every space is also the Barrow Coffee Table, a contemporary coffee table made of natural wood and vintage leather – emphasizing the beauty of refined traditional design and the beauty of nature in a refined material game. The rug from the Agronomist collection is called Olea. It is inspired by the beauty of the natural shape of the olive tree, and the artistic pictures on the floor frame the whole ambience.
The Evolution Of The Work Over The Past Years | Marcel Wanders
Marcel started as a product designer based on a very conceptual design type. Back then, they had shown Ella and Jurgen a more human approach – it was more decorative, sensitive and different. Later, he decided to start a company (Moooi), which gradually became an interesting tool for himself and many other designers. They did a lot of hotel design and now he has opened his hotel in Amsterdam. Simply making objects better and making people love them more is already an amazing ecological step. A lot of things are thrown away when they’re still good, it’s a waste. In early 2014, they curated a fantastic exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, which became a turning point in his career and allowed them to really look at themselves and plan their next steps. He plans to open another section in his design studio, where they are supposed to make a different type of product, no longer aiming to draw attention to ecology and sustainability, but asking people to do so. They made it a necessity, not an opportunity.
Marcel’s Definition To Design And Its Important Components
Design is an expression of times and cultures. Today, we live in the era of postmodernism. We have come to understand that we are not rational beings, we are creating a more holistic environment around us.
The task of design is to shape this culture and support this opportunity. In design, everything around and within an object is an important part of conveying a message.
The Route Of Design Taking In The Future | Marcel Wanders
Marcel believes that people need to understand that they work for people, and that they have to make humanistic works – whatever that means. This is not technocracy. It’s romantic and sensitive. It is these aspects that will play a greater role in the design world of the future. In a few years, you will be in a house with heating, lighting, music and sound included in the rent. And there’s nothing left to buy – so, visually, there won’t be any more impact. Thus making the house and its surroundings more ritualistic than it is today. Remember, when CDs were invented, nobody still owned them because we wanted the technology to go away because we wanted its results, not its vision. This is where the design has to evolve. So it’s going to be very technical and from the flip side to something less visual but very ritualistic and human. That was the field in which all poets of their time would have worked.
CITATION:
- Saha, P. K. (2016) Design is about love: Marcel Wanders, mint. https://www.livemint.com/Consumer/enMhOKT10w3ZWR6WEGzBaN/Design-is-about-love-Marcel-Wanders.html (Accessed: July 15, 2022).
- SOMA Magazine (no date) SOMA Magazine » archive » Marcel wanders, Somamagazine.com. http://www.somamagazine.com/marcel-wanders-designing-a-beautiful-sustainable-durable-world/ (Accessed: July 15, 2022).
- New definition of Harmony by Marcel wanders for natuzzi Italia (no date) Archystyle.com. Available at: https://www.archystyle.com/new-definition-of-harmony-by-marcel-wanders-for-natuzzi-italia/ (Accessed: July 15, 2022)
IMAGE CITATION: Marcel Wanders
- Unknown. (2013). Marcel Wanders Portrait.[Photograph].
- Cloud Baek. (2019). RAMUN Bella. [Photograph].
- New definition of Harmony by Marcel wanders for natuzzi Italia (no date) Archystyle.com.
- New definition of Harmony by Marcel wanders for natuzzi Italia (no date) Archystyle.com.
