‘People want to be in closer contact and use space more judiciously. Our answer is the “500 Bench”, which is a long desk divided up by partitions.’ 14 Holland <strong>Product</strong> <strong>Design</strong> Photo ANP
Ahrend company profile Art, comfortable chairs and table lamps in offices The <strong>Dutch</strong> company Ahrend has been in existence for over 100 years and has been furnishing offices throughout the world for decades. Amidst classic favourites and “state of the art” design agencies, we had the opportunity to discuss the brand: introducing Ahrend, its new vision for office interiors and <strong>Dutch</strong> <strong>Design</strong>. By Arnoud Veilbrief The “Revolt Chair” is a bonafide classic <strong>Dutch</strong> design and style icon on a par with the “Philishave” or possibly even the “Fiat 500”. It is functional, sturdy and ergonomically designed. The chair was introduced in 1953 and is now experiencing a real revival. In 2005, the Italians raved about the chair at the trade fair Fuori Salone del Mobile in Milan, and at the Woonbeurs Amsterdam trade fair for home design the “Revolt” was named “best home design product” of the year. Ahrend’s history is every bit as extraordinary as that of its famous chair. In Ahrend’s home market in the <strong>Netherlands</strong> it has been the leading office furniture company for decades. The company achieved international success in 1986, when it was asked to furnish the headquarters of HSBC Bank in Hong Kong. Ahrend later went on to furnish the London HSBC office, and the premises of many other clients. In straight lines Billions of people the world over work in offices on a daily basis and these offices have changed beyond all recognition in recent decades. It used to be the case that wooden tables were arranged in straight lines and there was not a computer in sight. Ahrend’s Head of Communication, Remon van Rijn, recalls, ‘At that time, the “Revolt” represented a watershed in the way people thought about office furnishings’. He then points to a desk with a large, thin top: the “Mehes” from 1972. ‘It was one of the first modular desks, with a minimalist design,’ says Van Rijn. The “Mehes” is another piece of furniture that still sells well. Next to Van Rijn sits designer Wijtse Rodenburg, who started at Ahrend as a trainee in 1972 and worked on the “Mehes”. He now teaches at the <strong>Design</strong> Academy Eindhoven, but has also continued to work at Ahrend. ‘I’m even too old to work as a Senior <strong>Design</strong>er’, laughs Rodenburg in self-mockery. However, he is far from being out of design ideas. Rodenburg has just won the prestigious Red Dot Award from design institution <strong>Design</strong> Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen for the “Ahrend 800”. A jury consisting of 24 people from 18 countries chose Rodenburg’s desk from the 2548 entries by designers from 43 different countries. Ahrend gave Rodenburg free reign to design the “800”. ‘I wanted to make a modular, minimalist desk,’ says Rodenburg. ‘It worked. There isn’t a knob or handle www.hollandtrade.com to be seen anywhere. However, they are all definitely there. What’s more, all of the parts are interchangeable. The customer is free to decide which parts should be made of wood, steel or glass.’ Making the office feel more like home Another goal for the “800” was to combine hominess with an office style. According to Rodenburg, ‘The two styles are becoming more and more similar. Offices don’t look as businesslike as they used to; there are works of art and comfortable chairs, just as you would find in a nice living room. Those table lamps are another example’, he says, pointing at a desk in the showroom. ‘At the same time, working areas in the home are being made to look like offices. The “Ahrend 800” was designed to suit both environments.’ There is worldwide trend towards integrating the domains of the workplace and people’s private lives. The same is true as regards the thinking about office furnishings. ‘People want to be in closer contact and use space more judiciously’, says Van Rijn. Ahrend’s answer to this trend is the “ 500 Bench”, which is a long desk that is divided up by cloth partitions that provide the necessary privacy. The “500” was the success story of the Neocon trade fair in Chicago in June 2007. There is also a trend towards increasingly similar furniture being selected for offices in different countries. Van Rijn relates, ‘Exxonmobil is a good example. They say that if you work for them, then you have the right to a good workstation, no matter where you are in the world. They always have the same standards, regardless of the average quality of the furnishings in the country in question. They want to be the same everywhere. Of course, it is flattering that a company like that has opted for our “Mehes” system.’ People are often interested in Wijtse Rodenburg’s background as a <strong>Dutch</strong> designer. ‘Being renowned in the field wasn’t our primary aim, but foreigners do often talk about “<strong>Dutch</strong> <strong>Design</strong>”. When I ask them what they mean exactly, they say, “a combination of attractive, functional design and reliability. It often also has a sort of down-to-earth humour to it. That’s nice to hear, don’t you think?’ www.ahrend.com Anne Frank House, Amsterdam, Benthem Crouwel Architekten 15
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