My Soft Office
Date: 2001
Commissioned by: MOMA, New york
Type: Exhibition
In the work that she has made for MoMA, the industrial designer Hella Jongerius has succeeded in reconciling opposite extremes: living and working, sleeping and surfing the Internet, lazing in front of the fire yet seeking the enticements of the outside world. This has resulted in a number of comfortable and attractive fashion objects that encompass high-level technology. She calls them MY SOFT OFFICE.
Just as in most of her designs where Jongerius is not looking for the umpteenth unique form, in Bed In Business she deploys archetypal references to domesticity: the bed, textiles and cushions. Large computer screens have been included in the foot of this extra long bed, and the keyboard and mouse ball can be found in the ‘touch pillows’.
Worlds of difference meet each other in this bed with its multiple potential: high-tech and trusty low-tech, ingenious technical fireworks and traditional textile techniques. The ultimate symbol of rest and relaxation, of dreaming, doing nothing, sleeping and making love has been fused with work, the symbol of rapid modernity, and with the hectic life of the world beyond the bed. This fusion affects every detail. For instance, the keys have been indicated with embroidery stitches, a typical textile solution.
Never again will you need to get up from this self-sufficient bed. The whole world is right there beside you.
A computer screen and keyboard also lurk in another design called Power Patches, a series of extremely comfortable cushions that are spread across the floor and are just waiting to be used. Here, Jongerius was not looking for archetypal forms, rather she was pushing the extremes still further so that work and languid relaxation achieve an agreeable union in these compact seating elements. The patches contain a soft gel that ensures comfort. By manufacturing them in various different materials, each of them maintains its own individual identity and mood, from the romantic and classical to taut, modern design. These fashionable Patches are an enticing invitation to sit, lounge or work.