Delicately poetic, Hive is an original combination of ottomans and small tables. The former have a three-dimensional surface springing from the assembly of small leather petals discarded from the manufacturing process.Read more
Delicately poetic, Hive is an original combination of ottomans and small tables. The former have a three-dimensional surface springing from the assembly of small leather petals discarded from the manufacturing process. The latter, instead, are obtained from a folded metal sheet. Inspired by the structure of the beehive, Hive is a green accessory rooted in manual expertise and geometry.
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Concept
Hive means “beehive”, a project that evokes the complex structure generated by the design of small elements that can create objects with great architectural consistency, like a beehive. The Atelier OI started with the materials, discarded pieces of leather in particular. “We asked B&B Italia to send us the left over pieces of leather for one week. They were qualitatively perfect but unusable because they were too small, and we started working with them.” The three-dimensional surface was created by sewing together small petals of leather, modular pieces left over from the manufacturing process, through the central incisions that follow a pattern of repeating hexagons. It took two years of work to perfect the final design and in spite of its complexity, it is poetic and delicate, an object that looks like a flower and its leaves.
Technical information
Seat (H61P)
multi-layered wood panel, shaped polyurethane, polyurethane, cover in polypropylene and polyamide
Bottom base (H61P)
thermoplastic material
Support frame (H61P)
drawn steel
Frame and top (H58T-H50T)
steel sheet
Ferrules (H61P)
plastic material
Ferrules (H58T-H50T)
thermoplastic material
Cover (H61P)
leather Gamma
Configurator
Discover all configuration, change shape and material. View product from all prospective.
Atelier oï was founded in 1991 in La Neuveville, Switzerland, by Aurel Aebi, Armand Louis and Patrick Reymond. For almost 30 years atelier oï has been striving to dissolve barriers between genres and foster transdisciplinary creativity, working across architecture, interior design, product design and scenography.
The founders have a strong interest in nature and natural materials, and their expertise in transforming these enables them to realise projects that are both emotional and artisanal. The three founders are architects, designers and boat constructors, all members of the Swiss Federation of Architects FAS. Between 2008 and 2016 they directed the Swiss Federal Prize of Design as President of the Federal Commission for Design. Educated at the architecture school funded by Alberto Sartoris in Switzerland, the founders further received honorary doctorates from the institution. atelier oï fosters experimentation and cultural exchange, through their work with clients as well as their own initiatives, and as visiting professors in a number of leading institutions.
The combination of local roots and international know-how has enabled atelier oï to design for a broad variety of national and international clients including B&B Italia. Their projects have been recognised globally, with some of the most renowned awards including IF Design Awards, Europan 3, European Museum of the Year, Red Dot award, and Product of the Year from Architectural Record.