Made Together Apart: Connected launches at The Design Museum, London.

Pink Moon by Studiopepe.

The making of Studiopepe’s Pink Moon.

The making of Sabine Marcelis’ Candy Cubicle.

Candy Cubicle by Sabine Marcelis.

Arco by Maria Jeglinska.

Nordic Pioneer by Maria Bruun.

Humble Administrator by Studio Swine.

Nine original tables and seating designs, created by nine leading international designers and made in one of Europe’s top craft workshops, is on show in an installation called Connected, which launched on 11 September at the Design Museum in London.

When the onset of Covid-19 significantly changed the way people live, interact and work, creatives and makers had to adjust their processes using new technologies to work together at a distance and often operate from new, improvised, home offices.

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), Benchmark Furniture and the Design Museum challenged these designers to create a table and seating for their personal use, to suit their new ways of living and working from home.

The designers had a choice of three sustainable American hardwoods to work with – red oak, maple or cherry. They were also invited to record their creative journeys to demonstrate how they approached the brief and developed their designs at a time of limited physical contact.

This installation showcases the results of a unique experiment that sets out to push the boundaries of what is possible with these timbers and to explore how designers and craftspeople adapted their working practices during lockdown.

The project demanded that both the designers and craftspeople at Benchmark work innovatively, by relying solely on digital communication and video conferencing, to bring the designers’ visions to life. This approach required a new level of trust in the makers, since the designers had no physical contact with their pieces whilst they were being made at Benchmark’s Berkshire workshop.

The designers involved in Connected are: Ini Archibong (Switzerland), Maria Bruun (Denmark), Jaime Hayon (Spain), Heatherwick Studio (UK), Sebastian Herkner (Germany), Maria Jeglinska-Adamczewska (Poland), Sabine Marcelis (Netherlands), Studiopepe (Italy) and Studio Swine (UK / Japan).

The resulting responses to the brief are incredibly diverse and personal, with a bold array of natural and stained finishes that bring these sustainable timbers to life in a new way. Each of the designers have challenged the makers with their complexity and attention to detail.

Connected is on show at the Design Museum from 11th September to 11th October as part of London Design Festival 2020.

Stem by Thomas Heatherwick.

Mesamachine by Jaime Hayon.

Jaime Hayon’s Sketch for Mesamachine.

Kadamba Gate by Ini Archibong.

Stammtisch by Sebastian Herkner.

[Photography by David Cleveland.]