Special guest: François Azambourg
François Azambourg, already as a design student, designed a paper coffee set, which was awarded in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs competition. Since then, Azambourg has been continuously fascinated with untypical materials.
François Azambourg can be equally described as a “designer” and an “inventor”. His designs are a combination of intriguing technological solutions with the magic of form. Azambourg creates evocative and economic objects using unusual techniques and experimental materials combining durability and lightness.
He spent 10 years of his life searching for new solutions in the ergonomics of the saxophone for a manufacturer of instruments from Paris - Selmer and the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics and Music (IRCAM). Research on materials was fundamental to his subsequent philosophy of lightness and economy of materials.
This interest in materials is reflected in his famous Pack Chair made from 3-D fabrics. In compressed form, the chair fits into a purse. It acquires its final shape and stiffness, and consequently – the function of a piece of furniture for sitting, by growing bigger and bigger as a result of a chemical reaction. The fabric used by Azambourg is at the same time the frame and the cover of the chair. His invention is of great importance for the reduction of the costs of manufacture and distribution of the product.
The innovative use of materials typical of Azambourg can be also observed in the Herlight luggage designed for the manufacturer of luxury accessories - Hermes. The element structuring the bag, at the same time forming its cover, is a layer of leather and foam. The product, weighing only 700 grams, received the "Etoile de l’Observateur du Design " award in 2006.
A similar idea was used in “Mr. Bugatti” furniture collection manufactured by Cappellini. Stools and chairs in this collection are made of very thin and soft steel filled with polyurethane foam, which provides the structure with the necessary stiffness. With this combination of materials, called the hard sandwich, Mr. Bugatti furniture is very thin but durable. Although the collection is characterised by very standard shapes, each piece of furniture is unique due to the “crumpled” texture formed as a result of injecting foam into metal.
Other fascinating ideas of François Azambourg include the magic lamps. Faisceau, Brindille, Bouclette or Yvette lamps are made of optical fibres lighting on the side. As a result these lamps function both as shades and the lighting element, which is fully subordinated to the principle of economy present in all Azambourg’s designs.
When in 2004 Lille became the European Capital of Culture, Azambourg designed a micro-restaurant on that occasion. Its size was equal to a fair-sized car. Two storeys with a height of 1.6 m, which provided enough room for sitting, featured chairs and tables with shortened legs. The chef had access from his small kitchen both to the bottom and upper floor, and served dishes directly from his workplace.
Azambourg closely cooperates with Japanese companies dealing with plastic recycling. He received numerous awards such as: Villa Medici Hors les murs (2003), Grand Prix du Design de Paris (2004), Concours Top Plastique, Concours du Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
Azambourg designs for Hermes, Cappellini, Poltrona Frau, Ligne Roset, Cinna, Domestic, Moustache, Kreo, Saint Luc, Oxyo et CIAV Meisenthal.
More information: www.azambourg.fr
