Post COVID-19 office space dividers. ROOM DIVIDERS by Dutch Invertuals – Photo bt Ronald Smits.
Coronavirus – Smart working, social distancing and virus-proof measures won’t kill the office space. As everything else it will have to evolve, resiliently. But do not despair, we won’t need to go back to cubicles. Designers are working to create flexible and functional office-space dividers allowing us to safely team up again. We have picked 10 stylish solutions to share ideas without relying on Zoom or Skype.
Hinoki by Federica de Biasi x Maerba
HINOKI screens design by Federica Biasi for Manerba – Photo by Manerba.
Italian designer Federica de Biasi, art director of leading office furniture company Manerba, has designed Hinoki, a collection of room dividers that “invite us to safely share again community spaces without feeling like a fish in an aquarium.” Conceived as a familiar dividing element the modular slim-lined panels come in a self-supporting mode – even on wheels – and can hooked to desk structures. The semi-transparent polycarbonate screens tune with the company’s colour palette.
Paper Softwall by Molo
SOFTWALL by Molo – Photo by Molo.
Canadian company molo is known for its freestanding and sound absorbing Paper Softwall room dividers, folding partition designs that come as thick as a book to unfold into a curved or linear formation up to 4.5m in length. “Made from layers of paper structured with flexible honeycomb geometry, they relinquish notions of rigid space making in favour of sustainable design to accommodate change over time and responsible material use.” Explain the designers Stephanie Forsythe + Todd MacAllen. Lightweight and easily moveable, the softwalls come with handles or magnetic end panels that connect different units.
Vela by Bernhardt & Vella x Arflex
VELA by Bernhardt & Vella for Arflex – Photo by Arflex.
Vela by Milan-based studio Bernhardt & Vella for Italian company Arflex is composed of two complementary coloured glass panels with different shapes which create a play of transparencies. “The screen divides in a light and simple way, without weighing down the space, creating games of multicolored shadows,” explain Ellen. Bernhardt and Paola Vella. Vela matches perfectly with their Arflex Papillon lamp. Two LED strips are integrated in a central rod with a gold finish which acts as a support for two colored glass panels.
Layout by Michele de Lucchi x Alias
LAYOUT by Michele de Lucchi for Alias – Photo by Alias.
Michele de Lucchi has expanded his Layout collection for Italian furniture company Alias. “The screen provides a partition for any type of architectural space,” says de Lucchi. Available in different finishes, Layout comes in anodized aluminum and stove enameled white or black. The lightweight, slender and minimalistic design combines soft shapes with a sober elegance, ideal for a friendly and smart working space.
Room Dividers by Dutch Invertuals
ROOM DIVIDERS by Dutch Invertuals – Photo bt Ronald Smits.
Dutch Invertuals has created Room Dividers, a solution “ready to become part of the identity of a vibrant and safe environment.” Available in four shapes and three finishes – acrylic transparent, acrylic translucent and fabric – the designs feature a powder coated steel frame on wheels and come in different colors.
Fences & Barns by Kauppi & Kauppi x Glimakra of Sweden
The Barn & Fences office furniture collection by Johan Kauppi for Glimakra of Sweden – Photo: courtesy of Glimakra of Sweden.
Swedish studio Kauppi & Kauppi brings the silent landscapes of Lapland villages into the working space. The sound-proof collection of modular fence-looking room dividers and a barn-shaped muted screens was created for Glimakra of Sweden. The series “has unique properties – a serene combination of sound absorption & transparency.” Explains the Johan and Nina Kauppi. Read more…
COV by Matteo Cibic x FusinaLab
COV divider by MatteoCibic – Image by Matteo Cibic.
“I never expected that a divider could become the socialization tool of tomorrow,” says Matteo Cibic to Archipanic. The Milan-based designer created COV, a series of elegant dividers produced and distributed by FusinaLab for offices, saloons and restaurants. The desk divider features a perspex rounded shaped sheet with a anodized aluminium weights. The single weight version allows it to stand upright both horizontally and vertically.
VEVDL x Lensvelt
Lensvelt office screens – Image by Lensvelt.
Dutch office furniture brand Lensvelt has asked Niels Van Eijk and Mirjam Van der Lubbe to come up with a solution for a safe workstation. The designers who regularly draw interiors for companies with 25 to 500 workplaces avoided ‘hard and clinical’ unpleasant solutions by playing with color and layering. “Hygienic workplaces can be created from which the clinical does not drip and even forms a pleasant addition to the existing office environment. Furniture with a soul.” Explained the designers.
Haller – the safe edition – by USM
USM Haller for post covid-19 office – Photo by USM.
USM is known for its modular Haller structures which can be composed in a scalable and flexible way like building blocks to fit in any space, from the home to the office. The Swiss furniture company has developed 5 different modular solutions, all ready to be ordered and quick to be delivered to respond to companies in urgent need to get to be safely and swiftly back on track. The design functionally integrates with the hyper-scalable iconic Haller system of joined modules.
Discover Space by Artemide
DISCOVER SPACE by Artemide – Image by Artemide.
Discovery Space, the lighting panel designed by Artemide founder Ernesto Gismondi, is a perfect solution looking after your sight and soul. The panels tunes with UGR standards aiming to prevent un-healthy light exposure and discomfort. Discovery Space layers a further emotional dynamism to the working space without affecting sight while letting professionality flow. The solution “shapes the surrounding environment through to different levels of transparency defining space.” Says Ernesto Gismondi. “The dimmable white and hued light grants a proper perception opening to a psychological e physiological wellness.”
