The Reading Room by Formafantasma at - Courtesy of Stockholm Furniture Fair.

The Reading Room installation by Formafantasma – All photos are courtesy of the Stockholm Furniture Fair.

Design – At the Stockholm Furniture Fair, Milan-based design studio Formafantasma created the Reading Room, “an inspirational space where one can read, reflect and exchange ideas,” explain the studio co-founders Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin. As this year’s Guest of Honour, Formafantasma decided to go beyond the mere product display.

The Reading Room by Formafantasma at - Courtesy of Stockholm Furniture Fair.

“To work as a designer today goes way beyond thinking about the product. That is, of course, important, but it’s just as important to rethink how we produce things.” Says Andrea Trimarchi. Indeed, Formafantasma created a space to sit for a moment and read, reflect and be embraced by the ideas that have shaped the studio’s work.

“A fair is a place where people gather to see new products. But it is also a platform for exchanging ideas and for cultures to meet.” Adds Trimarchi. With the Reading Room installation, “we wanted to do something that wasn’t just about displaying our previous work, but rather offer something in line with our way of thinking and working that is also relevant for others.”

The Reading Room by Formafantasma at - Courtesy of Stockholm Furniture Fair.

A pink curtain by Maharam encloses the space. Inside, the installation is furnished with seating and tables by Artek and lighting by Flos. The designers also curated a selection of books about sustainability, ecology and ecosystems, especially forests, that visitors can read.

The Reading Room by Formafantasma at - Courtesy of Stockholm Furniture Fair.

“We aim to make people engage with ecology, not on the product level but on a systemic level. When we talk about furniture design, we implicitly talk about wood; if we talk about wood, we need to talk about forests. We want people to connect the product to the ecosystem from which it originates and talk about the possibilities in this, but also the problems,” concludes Andrea Trimarchi.

When the fair is over, the books will be donated to design schools. The seating and tables will be re-sold as signed pieces at Nordiska Galleriet.

The Reading Room by Formafantasma at - Courtesy of Stockholm Furniture Fair.

All the photos of the Reading Room are courtesy of the Stockholm Furniture Fair.

The Reading Room by Formafantasma at - Courtesy of Stockholm Furniture Fair.