Vitra Herzog & de Meuron - Hocker

Herzog & de Meuron Architekten, BSA/SIA/ETH (HdeM) is a Swiss architecture firm, founded and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland in 1978. The careers of founders and senior partners Jacques Herzog (born 19 April 1950), and Pierre de Meuron (born 8 May 1950), closely paralleled one another, with both attending the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich. They are perhaps best known for their conversion of the giant Bankside Power Station in London to the new home of the Tate Museum of Modern Art. Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron have been visiting professors at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design since 1994 and professors at ETH Zürich since 1999. In 2001, Herzog & de Meuron were awarded the Pritzker Prize, the highest of honours in architecture. Jury chairman J. Carter Brown, commented, "One is hard put to think of any architects in history that have addressed the integument of architecture with greater imagination and virtuosity." This in reference to HdeM's innovative use of exterior materials and treatments, such as silkscreened glass. Architecture critic and Pritzker juror Ada Louise Huxtable summarized HdeM's approach concisely: "They refine the traditions of modernism to elemental simplicity, while transforming materials and surfaces through the exploration of new treatments and techniques."[1] In 2006, the New York Times Magazine called them "one of the most admired architecture firms in the world."[2] HdeM's early works were reductivist pieces of modernity that registered on the same level as the minimalist art of Donald Judd. However, their recent work at Prada Tokyo, the Barcelona Forum Building and the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympic Games, suggest a changing attitude.[2] HdM’s commitment of articulation through materiality is a common thread through all their projects. Their formal gestures have generally progressed from the purist simplicity of rectangular forms to more complex and dynamic geometries. The architects often cite Joseph Beuys as an enduring artistic inspiration and collaborate with different artists on each architectural project. Their success can be attributed to their skills in revealing unfamiliar or unknown relationships by utilizing innovative materials.

• Constructed of birch

• 16.5" H x 15.5" x 11.75"

• Design is the process by which almost all objects in Vitra's surroundings are instilled with a specific design and function - from cars to paper clips, from clothing to chairs. And design does not just mean giving things a shape. Design creates the basis which enables things to function in the desired manner. It is a process in which complementary but often mutually contradictory requirements have to be met (comfort, technology, ergonomics, ecology, economics, aesthetics). Design can be successful only when the balance of all these factors is attained.

• Once in the factory, Vitra staff manufacture furniture to precise standards, individually ensuring the quality of each product.
• Vitra has been certified for DIN EN ISO 9001 : 2000.
• Vitra's focus on quality does not end at the factory door - they believe that providing clients with exceptional service is just as important as manufacturing furniture. In order to make certain Vitra clients enjoy consistently high quality in all Vitra products, they have set up their own test center which monitors products against criteria that are far more stringent than the statutory standards.

• Ergonomics is an applied science that studies the relationship between human beings and machines. Vitra produces furniture that responds to the ergonomic requirements of the body and as a consequence has a positive effect on health and well-being. All Vitra products (except for the experimental series Vitra Edition) have been tested by independent institutions. They comply with prescribed standards under the European Directive on VDU Work and are marked with the GS seal (= Geprüfte Sicherheit or Tested Safety, seal of the independent certification company LGA).

• Vitra's contribution to ecological conservation does not stop with a close examination of materials and processes. All aspects of the company's work involve ecological thinking.
• In 1991, Vitra set up an internal ecology committee to discuss environmental topics. This team identifies new tasks, and its project teams work together to find solutions.
• Vitra uses only non-CFC foams and adhesives free of toxic solvents; all possible materials are recycled. Wherever possible, Vitra uses recycled materials.
• Vitra's goal during production is to minimize noise and emission levels as well as to reduce waste. Packaging materials are kept to a minimum and re-used as often as possible.