100% Bene in London
The trade fairs 100% Design and 100% East, which took place during London’s Design Festival from September 21 to 24, converted the British capital into a hot spot of the world of design. On that occasion, Bene demonstrated its broad design competence by presenting product highlights, staging a design competition and launching B-Loose, London’s new furnishing house.Sarah Lloyd’s remarkable "Visible Void"
The trend has long been on the horizon: Zones of communication are becoming more and more important in today’s office. Office work is shifting from personal desks to areas of interaction for multiple uses. In taking account of this development, Bene, one of Europe’s leading providers of office environments, extended its first invitation to young designers and architects (under 35) to take part in the competition "Bene invites Design", which was launched in parallel to the 100% Design fair. Without adding any further specifications to allow sufficient room for innovative solutions, the call was for the creation of objects under the theme "Relax Zone".
The clear winner among more than 150 submissions was Sarah Lloyd with the object "Visible Void". "Visible Void" allows flexible definition of space within space for added privacy or to hold spontaneous meetings. A top-class jury consisting of experts from the design and architecture scene, including Thomas Bene / Board member of the Bene Group, Kai Stania / Designer, Matthew Hilton / furniture designer, Luke Pearson / founding member of Design Studios PersonLloyd, Robert Wright / Head of Workplace Strategy and Neil Wells / Aura Consulting Ltd., awarded a prize to "Visible Void", a "dramatic and aesthetic intervention into the workplace. Representing a self-reliant object in its own right, this project carries great potential in terms of branding or as an object of art. Not least, it is considered a welcome change in any office environment".
In addition to receiving prize money, Sarah Lloyd will also be invited to Vienna and to Waidhofen an der Ybbs, where she will have the special opportunity to work with Bene’s design team, including Kai Stania, Johannes Scherr and Christian Horner.
B-Loose for meeting spaces
At 100% Design, Bene also presented its new furnishing concept. Under the name "B-Loose", Bene is displaying in its London showroom an exquisite portfolio of exclusive furniture manufacturers such as Walter Knoll, Denz, Bene, Matteo Grassi, Borks and LaPalma. The products are meant for various zones of communication – including receptions, lounges, the office café, conference rooms or Management offices. "Our focus is on specialisation, we provide an exclusive collection of furniture that is unmatched in the UK," as Martin Daly, B-Loose Managing Director, describes the new business model.
Pure Austrian Design in London
At 100% East, Bene presented an exhibition entitled "Pure Austrian Design Landing", and made a brilliant appearance with seating furniture in spectacular colours such as silver, gold and pistachio for break-out areas and meeting spaces: The stylish Rondo shell chair and the comfortable Coffice armchair suggested that visitors browse books or watch videos to get immersed into Austrian culture.
A comprehensive programme and the 100% Design and 100% East fairs marked the position of the London Design Festival as an international platform for trendsetting design. In this regard, Bene was offered a perfect stage for demonstrating its design excellence. According to Thomas Bene, the festival "was an excellent opportunity to address especially architects and a design-savvy public".
Ursula Grabher
