IMM Cologne 2016: Richard Lampert

According to Brigitte Eiermann her late husband, the German architect and designer Egon Eiermann, would work so long on a furniture design project until he could say “Das ist nicht besser zu machen” – “That cannot be improved”. It was, so Frau Eiermann, rare that he said such, so great was his striving for perfection. Everything could, somehow, be improved.¹

However we imagine Egon Eiermann would be very satisfied with the new table trestle Egon from Stuttgart based manufacturer Richard Lampert.

Or at least as satisfied as an Egon Eiermann ever can be.

Designed by long-time Richard Lampert collaborator Alexander Seifried the trestle Egon arose from a desire to offer an alternative to the classic Eiermann table frame: and has become so, so much more.

Simple, reduced and functional as the Eiermann frame is and always will be, it is a frame and needs to be assembled, disassembled and re-assembled as and when required. Which is fine when intended for use, for example, as a permanent desk in a permanent office situation.

Egon is a trestle, folds flat in seconds and is thus simple, reduced, functional and flexible.

Available in a range of sizes and configurations Egon allows for a much wider range of table solutions than the Eiermann frame, including round tables, a flexibility which when combined with its ease of assembly, disassembly and for all the folding mechanism which allows for uncomplicated flat storage, extends the scope of the original Eiermann table concept from its current desk and dining domains into the previously uncharted territory of contract, conference or catering, as well as expanding the possibilities for office and home (office).

And that without deviating one iota from the essence of the Eiermann frame: visually and functionally it is the same frame Egon Eiermann developed in 1953 for his students in Karlsruhe. Just evolved.

Consequently we’ve decided to refer to Egon as “Eiermann 3”. We’re not sure if we should, officially it isn’t, it is just our pet name for it, but it fits perfectly, because it is a further, functional, development of Egon Eiermann’s original. And a truly inspired one at that.

In addition to the “Eiermann 3” Richard Lampert used IMM Cologne 2016 to unveil the new storage system Bazar by Steffen Kehrle. Crafted from powder coated steel Bazar is available as a free standing tube version or in three wall mounted hook versions; from which for us the free standing version is without question the star. Standing 170 cms tall Bazar features fixed exterior hooks and a variable number of optional interior shelves which can be set as required to create an accessible and practical storage solution for bathroom, kitchen, hallway etc, etc, etc……

A few impressions from Richard Lampert at IMM 2016:

1. Brigitte Eiermann “Möbel und weitere Entwürfe” in Egon Eiermann 1904 – 1970 : Bauten u. Projekte, ed. Wulf Schirmer, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, 1984