The art of seating

COR will be providing a glimpse into the future of furniture design at Fuorisalone in Milan. The company is showcasing its vision for aesthetic seating furniture design in the form of the new Nook sofa, together with the Shrimp and Jalis Lounge collection updates, at its traditional showroom in the Brera Design District. The temporary showroom’s historical setting at Via Solferino 11 is also the backdrop for Trio’s 50th anniversary.

An elementary design feature of COR seating furniture is a reduction to the essentials. In this day and age of change and uncertainty we are drawn to furniture that not only offers aesthetic appeal, but also offers us a protected retreat. The Nook sofa – penned by Stuttgart-based designers Markus Jehs and Jürgen Laub – offers exactly that – a safe and secure space to feel comfortable and relaxed.

 

Nook – a cosy nest-like retreat
Design: Jehs+Laub

The low-set, high-backed Nook sofa has a compact design that nevertheless has an air of lightness about it. Its form is unique because it adds a nest of comfort to a room rather than dividing up the space. The outside of the sofa boasts clear lines that complement the architecture, and the inside is soft and feminine. Like a 1950s vase, the lines are elegantly upwardly tapered, creating a delicate sculpture-like look.

Piping separating the interior and exterior of the sofa, makes playful and creative design variants possible. The narrow joints are not intended to be modular elements. They perform a design function by making the sofa’s large format evident. They are the stringent detail that give the organically shaped body its distinctive appearance. “Nook is different from the Jalis range that we designed because, with Jalis, the individual cushions define the look. Nook is perceived as a whole,” said Jehs+Laub. “This large-format sofa gets its lightness from the elimination of mass,” they continued. 


Shrimp23 – the new edition of the iconic easy chair
Design: Jehs+Laub

It isn’t always necessary to develop new products in the world of seating furniture. Sometimes all you have to do is revamp an existing design, like the Shrimp easy chair from 2011. “When we review older designs we always ask ourselves if we’d do it the same way today,” explained the designer duo Jehs+Laub, adding, “We wouldn’t change anything about the Shrimp seat shell because the fact that it’s made from a single piece of wood makes it iconic and special. However, we don’t think the seat core reflects contemporary tastes.” This led us to design a new seat cushion with additional volume. It provides a harmonious contrast to the hard wood and the technology used to form the shell. The slightly larger, soft cushion is loose in the shell, forming an arm rest and a slightly higher back for support and additional comfort.

The one thing that hasn’t changed is the Shrimp chair’s iconic shell. The chair gets its typical silhouette from the flexible bentwood shell with side recesses that make it look like a crustacean, hence the name. Shrimp impresses both aesthetically and functionally. The shell is made of reinforced bentwood veneered in oak or walnut or lacquered, and the soft fabric or leather cushion makes a beautiful contrast, emphasising Shrimp’s lounge chair character. Although it was a major challenge, it was possible to retain the synchrony of the side recesses. The cushion’s cut and filling are coordinated to precisely align with the side recesses on the shell. 


The Jalis Lounge chair – is now joined by a club chair 
Design: Jehs+Laub

Small but nice. The Jalis Club chair is the next evolution of Jalis Lounge, which was introduced last year. It speaks the same design language with its folded cushion and is a beautiful addition to the Jalis collection. The low back in no way detracts from seating comfort. In fact, it permits an upright and well-supported position. Just like its big brother, Jalis Club is available with a choice of two different bases: a delicate wire frame or a rotating plate base with optional release mechanism. The frame, which is powder coated in black in the standard version, can be requested in any other colour subject to an additional charge. 
 

Exciting days at Orgatec are behind us, full of many guests and intensive discussions. For those who couldn't attend, here are some photo impressions of our stand with dynamic New Work inspirations. In addition to the new Jalis Flow sofa and…

At Orgatec in Cologne, COR, the seating furniture manufacturer based in East Westphalia, is expanding its Contract range with the launch of the new Jalis Flow sofa and additions to the Floater collection.