Sebastian Herkner

SEBASTIAN HERKNER (Germany, 1981) for Moroso, Italy.
Pipe" armchair.
Chrome-plated steel.
Seat in non-deformable fireproof polyurethane foam.
In impeccable condition.
With publisher's label.
Measurements: 100 x 80 x 70 cm.

Herkner's work is characterized by his sensitivity to color, materials and weaves, his love for craftsmanship and his curiosity for new technologies and the cultures of different countries, and this melting pot of influences is reflected in his "Pipe" series, which includes the armchair shown here: Pop and minimalist references overlap with new avant-garde and global trends.

Pipe is a collection created by Sebastian Herkner for Moroso. Each element is composed of a base in chromed or painted steel with transparent feet, seat in non-deformable fireproof polyurethane foam of different densities and polyester fiber with internal structure in wood. Back in fireproof injected foam and polyester fiber.

The designer Sebastian Herkner, born in Bad Mergentheim (Germany) in 1981, was educated at the University of Art and Design HfG Offenbach, where he studied Product Design, focusing on the design of objects and furniture. After a brief stint at Stella McCartney's London office, in 2006 he founded his own office, where he designs furniture, lamps and objects for companies such as Ames, & Tradition, Cappellini, ClassiCon, Dedon, Ex.t, Fontana Arte, Gubi, Linteloo, Moroso, Pulpo, Rosenthal, Schramm Werkstätten, Thonet, Wittmann and Zanotta, but also works on interior architecture projects, museum installations and exhibition mounting. He has been the recipient of such prestigious awards as the IF Award, the Iconic Award and the Elle Deco International Design Award (EDIDA). In 2016 he was chosen to realize IMM Cologne's Das Haus, in 2019 Maison&Objet elected him Designer of the Year, and in 2021 he won the EDIDA Designer of the Year Award. The result of this approach is, for example, the 118 chair, which he created for the German brand Thonet by combining, on the one hand, the company's characteristic aspects, such as the ancient steam bending technique, and on the other hand the precise and inexpensive CNS milling. On the other hand, his curiosity for all cultures is reflected in the Banjooli armchair, part of Moroso's M'Afrique collection, whose shape is inspired by the dance performed by the banjooli (the male ostrich in the Wolof language) to woo the female. Like all the furniture in the collection, Banjooli is made by African artisans weaving the thread used for fishing nets. Herkner's most famous product is the Bell coffee table, designed for ClassiCon in 2012, an object that revolutionizes perceptual habits by using a light and fragile material such as glass as a base for a metal top that seems to float in space. A masterpiece of craftsmanship made entirely by hand, which in 2020 was also proposed in a dining table version. Recent projects include Moro, the armchair for La Manufacture named after the famous Venetian Doge, whose enveloping form is inspired by the interiors of historic Italian palaces; the steel and wood Host coat rack for the Chinese brand Stellar Work, designed for both domestic and hospitality use; the Blume Collection family for Pedrali, characterized by soft, rounded shapes and a sophisticated extruded aluminum profile; and the LET lounge chair for Fritz Hansen. His experience as a designer is reflected in numerous publications and through the conferences, lectures and seminars he gives at universities, academies and design institutes around the world.