Morgan, contract furniture designer and manufacturer, will launch its new Rio 2 collection, created in collaboration with studio Integrate, at Sleep + Eat 2018 (20th-21st November, Olympia London) on stand C60.
Through its Clerkenwell showroom art installations and furniture designs, Morgan is always seeking out new ways to celebrate the art of collaboration. The Rio 2 table collection will be its most recent collaborative project.
Morgan Rio 2 Tables in collaboration with studio INTEGRATE
Combining skills and expertise with architect Mehran Gharleghi of studio INTEGRATE, Morgan will introduce a new collection of tables for the contract market that include 3D printed components. The first of its kind within the sector to include this cutting edge technology with a commercially viable price point, the sophisticated and luxurious collection is not to be missed.
The first Rio collection was launched in 2016, combining the skills and expertise of the Morgan team with Mehran Gharleghi’s knowledge of new technologies to explore the relationship between the craft of yesterday and the craft of tomorrow.
The second generation sees two new table designs. With this version, a greater understanding of the technology provided the designers with increased creative scope, resulting in a more geometric and regular aesthetic, as opposed to the organic feel of the first generation. The use of materials was also reduced and refined, adding further options to the entirety of the collection. On the edge of design and technology, the tables are an iconic piece at an affordable price.
The collection uses a polyamide 3D printed component as the main structure with which to attach a glass or timber top and timber turned legs. This joining element was designed using a mathematical algorithm to create a unique framework that could not have been made via any other process. The technique is an additive process and therefore not only offers design freedom, but also a sustainable manufacturing solution.
Morgan Rio 2 Tables in collaboration with studio INTEGRATE
Both Mehran and Katerina Zachariades, Morgan’s design director, approach design in different ways; Katerina sketches and draws to scale with a pen, whilst Mehran designs digitally through modelling. Initially this resulted in a series of miniature 3D printed resin prototypes from Mehran and then full-scale models from Morgan. These two processes allowed the team to review the design both aesthetically and in terms of scale and proportions giving an immediate sense of reality.
Through the design process, Morgan and Mehran managed to bring down the production cost significantly and increase the factor of strength three fold. This was done by introducing geometric differentiation in various parts of the table according to the structural analysis conducted by Morgan Studio. Digital analyses were informed by previous Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) testing and guidelines. By establishing an iterative feedback loop between design and analysis, the team perfectly balanced the cost, strength and aesthetic of the collection.