Vitra.

We have already reported on the Chassis chair, based on technology from the automotive industry and designed by Stefan Diez for Wilkhahn. Bene continues to develop its signature style, Knoll is making the office more like a home and the home more like a lounge, Sedus is putting floral upholstery on desk trolleys for the occasional chat with a colleague, and countless manufacturers are showing countless chairs and desks that are almost indistinguishable in their adherence to the common standard of postmodern ergonomic futurism. This makes some manufactures stand out even more – namely those who are creating an office culture through the union of concept and design, yet without claiming to have reinvented the wheel.

Vitra, for example, has been working for some time on the development of a concept – named Net'n'Nest – that combines the dual aspects of communication and concentration, networking and privacy. It was impressive to observe the casual confidence with which Vitra has extended the expansive humanity of the collage principle to the realm of the open office (see our interview with Hanns-Peter Cohn, Vitra CEO), while simultaneously offering new, specific office solutions and furniture systems. The main aim is to increase the flexibility of furnishings, thereby expanding opportunities for communication. That sounds more strenuous than it is.

Both the "stand-or-sit" desk system with the evocative name Playns by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec and the executive desk ArchiMeda by Alberto Meda expand the previously horizontal organisation of the work space into vertical space. One can sit or stand, work alone or converse, plan, confer and banter with colleagues. Antonio Citterio prefers to seat the boss, forgoing the up and down of press-button controls; his executive workspace ACE is distinguished by elegance, high-quality materials and flexibility. The desk, in particular, has a prestigious appearance without succumbing to showiness or pretentiousness. Many people would hope for a boss who is as approachable and amiable as this executive office. Another innovation is Arik Levy's WorKit, a system based on a cube-shaped component which is both simple and convincing.