TRIO – 50 years of unrivalled adaptability

08. December 2022

TRIO – 50 years of unrivalled adaptability

This piece of furniture is integrative and mobile, but it isn’t a status symbol and it certainly isn’t loud. Trio’s distinctive features are its simple form, clear lines and complete absence of frills. The single stand-out detail in the deliberately minimalist design is the double outer seam along the edge.

50 years of TRIO is a milestone worth celebrating: with a large-scale communication and marketing campaign running throughout the year. Nine colourful Trio sofas will be on display as part of a temporary road show that is touring COR distribution partners in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Trio is also getting a special anniversary upholstery fabric that has been exclusively designed for COR. The deep-pile, hard-wearing woven fabric – harking back to the legendary COR fleece fabric of the 1970s – contains chenille yarn for soft and airy volume. The colour range extends from muted natural shades and classic greys to bold brass yellow, glacier blue, petrol, deep pine green and pastel mauve – all shades woven to COR’s specifications by the manufacturer.

Unconventional seating comfort

For half a century, thanks to its timeless design and flexibility, Trio has been adapting to the changing lives of its owners – in homes and public spaces of all kinds around the world, from architect offices and private clinics to waiting areas at corporation headquarters. Designed during a time of radical change, it is a classic piece of furniture for freedom and mobility in interior design. “Trio represents a youthful and carefree attitude to life,” explained Leo Lübke, Managing Partner at COR. “One and the same set of modules can be used to create all kinds of different living worlds on a whim.”

Trio was initially manufactured by COR between 1973 and 1983. The design was briefly modified between 1998 and 2002 to include ‘feet’. In 2016 the original design was reinstated. Today Trio incorporates a high-quality solid beechwood frame that has only been moderately adapted in terms of seat height and depth. There is a ski skin on the undersides of the loose back and arm rests. When it comes into contact with the backward-woven fibres on the sofa seats a braking effect occurs that prevents the rests from slipping on the seat cushions.

Perfectly formed

It is incredibly easy to convert the three simple elements of the Trio sofa into a chair, a comfortable lounge landscape or a sofa bed. That’s thanks to the three basic modules of seat element, back rest and arm rest. The main module is exactly one metre long and one metre wide. All other elements are added to the main module. The flexible back rest gives Trio its adaptability and spontaneity. Is that the secret to its success? Over the course of their lifetime, many Trios move from the living room to the children’s bedroom or guest room before they are passed on to the next generation.

Trio has also been available as a sofa bed since 2018. It takes no time at all to lift up the generously-sized 1-metre-wide and 1.5- or 2-meter-long seat elements to reveal equally generously-dimensioned sleeping areas for singles or pairs (1.5 x 2 m/2 x 2 m) with premium-quality cold foam mattresses. Trio sofa beds are ideal for use in guest rooms, studios, holiday apartments or hotels. It’s even easy to adapt the flexibly configurable living room sofa from sit-in to bed-in mode.

Design: team form ag, 1973

Awards: Iconic Awards, Interior Innovation – Best of Best, 2016

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