New Karim Rashid designs for Punkalive

Renowned designer Karim Rashid has teamed up with Finnish design house Punkalive to create two new all Kerto wood pieces, which will be presented at the IMM Cologne show this week.

SYD first came across Punkalive at Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2010 where we were struck by the Finnish company’s refreshingly quirky and expressive Kerto products (see Q3). Kerto is a laminated spruce wood veneer that comes from only local sustainable natural wood resources. A highly versatile material, Kerto is strong and tactile, and makes for high-quality, environmentally friendly furniture. Inspired by Punkalive’s unique material and production techniques, Rashid has created several designs for the company, the first products from which are High Roller, a sun lounger, and Maya, a unique stackable chair.

In his usual imaginative style, Rashid describes High Roller as a “flowing amorphic relaxing space ship”. Combining his characteristic free form lines with Punkalive’s innovative production technique, he has created a perfectly curved sun lounger. According to Rashid, “It is a complex form that is between natural and the artificial, mysterious yet harmonic.”

Rashid’s other creation for Punkalive is the Maya stackable chair; a 21st century homage to the Ziggurats, which were epic monuments built by ancient Mayans. Rashid explains: “In this new digital age form beckons complexity, so with Punkalive’s computer-controlled production process I wanted to make data-driven geometry that straddles both the natural world and constructs of mathematics.” This chair is both sustainable and biodegradable, but unquestionably modern in form and conception.

Punkalive and Rashid will be releasing more collaborative pieces after IMM Cologne at Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2011 in Milan. SYD have no doubt that they will be as exciting, stylish and unique as these pieces are.

Related Links:
Punkalive - company profile | company website

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