German designer Werner Aisslinger has built a cabin covered in colourful Kvadrat textiles for the Danish brand’s stand at this year’s imm Cologne furniture fair. Titled Garden of Wonders, the stand is located within the Design Post exhibition, which is taking place in the halls of a former post office in the Deutz quarter of Cologne.
Aisslinger was asked to create an installation to show off the range of textiles from Kvadrat, as well as sister brands Danskina and Kinnasand. These include three textile collections by Cristian Zuzunaga, Åsa Pärson and Scholten & Baijings, and a trio of rugs by Hella Jongerius.
The designer chose to build a “small piece of architecture”, which has padded walls covered in upholstery. This small hut is entered via steps up to its entrance, or through a larger circular hole in another of its four walls. Vertical louvres in two of the partitions are slightly opened to provide more views into the cabin.
A patchwork of blue and green materials covers the exterior, while red and orange tones are used inside. The interior also features rounded seats and small tables, upholstered in Kvadrat textiles. A bicycle dressed in a yellow cover is parked by the door.
Colourful fabrics were also draped over a wooden grid suspended from the ceiling, along with a few plants. “Together we came to the concept of a collage of fabrics hanging overhead, evoking a feel of exotic places such as India or South America where wonderfully coloured fabrics wave in the wind,” said Aisslinger.
Swatches are hung over horizontal wall-mounted wooden rods, and more are laid out like tiles on the floor. Larger rugs rest over raised trestles or are presented flat across the ground. Designers including Faye Toogood, Richard Hutten and Raf Simons have previously used Kvadrat textiles to create garments and furniture. The brand has also worked with David Adjaye and Peter Saville on its London showroom.
“Kvadrat is the brand designers love for the sophistication of products and the care Kvadrat takes in projects, ideas, concepts and continuous research,” said Aisslinger. “Their showrooms are also unique and are great places to experience fabrics which spark the conversation about design projects, interiors and architecture.”