The Serac Bench, designed by Zaha Hadid for street furniture brand Lab23, is made from a resin and quartz composite that gives it a sparkling white colour.

The surface of the bench is shaped into a series of smooth ridges and curves, and a single arch forms a backrest on one side.

The piece is on show at the Officine della Torneria, Via Novi, 5, just around the corner from Dezeen's movie studio at the MINI Paceman Garage.

London architect Zaha Hadid is showing a number of projects around Milan this week, including a pair of monochrome pendant lamps, a limited edition of marble tables and a system of twisting auditorium seats.

See more design by Zaha Hadid »
See more design from Milan 2013 »
See our map of the best things to see at Milan 2013 »

Photography is by Jacopo Spilimbergo.

Here's some more information from Zaha Hadid Architects:

Zaha Hadid for Lab23

Zaha Hadid's concept of urban furniture to be seamlessly integrated with its context and Lab23's experience coalesce into the Serac Collection, especially the Serac Bench, the urban bench designed by the architect and designer for the renowned street furniture label.

The concept behind the Serac Bench, which will be presented at Fuorisalone 2013, at the Officine della Torneria from April 8th to 14th, is evoked by the image of a block of ice formed by intersecting crevasses in a glacier. Developed as an urban sculpture for seating and resting, the Serac Bench seamlessly integrates with its context. Its striated articulations emerge from the landscape, each layer taking its own unique trajectory in reaction to latent forces that disperse - and ultimately coalesce - the many strata of the bench to generate its overall formal composition. The design rediscovers the fluid, continuous nature of Zaha Hadid's work - exploring relationships between full and void, object and background, form and function; an evolutionary pattern that is evident throughout her repertoire.
The bench has been developed in resin quartz, a tough and durable material that when shaped into a more curvaceous form, transitions into a softer, fluid and tactile surface. The sparkling crystal balances a stunning light play with mesmerizing depth.

Lab23, with numerous collaborations with world-renowned architects and designers under its belt, will present the Serach Bench together with its entire collection of street furniture, developed with innovative and enviromentally friendly materials, which have always characterized the brand. Five and Sofa are designed to furnish urban living rooms with ottomans, side tables and sofas. On the other hand, line S, designed by Veronica Martinez, consists of benches and flower boxes that recall the winding shape of an S. Stéphane Chapelet developed benches, tables and Zadig, a steel seat which features an interesting texture thanks to its laser cutting.

At Fuorisalone 2013, and after focusing mainly on public spaces, Lab23 will have the chance to present Aria23, a collection of outdoor furniture dedicated to the general public that distinguishes itself for a unique sensitivity for enviromental impact. For Aria23, architecture studio Marconato e Zappa, has developed a selection of décors.

The common and idenitfying feature of this collection is indeed the use of WPC, wood and plastic composit, an entirely recyclable material.

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The Water Lily benches by Ryuji Nakamura began as oblong grids of powder-coated stainless steel rods.

The designer then used coloured pencils to draw four thin lines along each rod, and sealed the colour with clear lacquer.

Seen from a distance, the colours blur together to create a single soft colour, a technique that Nakamura says was inspired by Impressionist painters.

The bench was part of Mark-ing London, an exhibition of work by British and Japanese designers organised by the British Council at Gallery Libby Sellers earlier this month.

During last year's London Design Festival, nine benches by designers including Jasper Morrison and BarberOsgerby were placed in the garden of the V&A museum.

We've also featured include a bench system based on the iconic Barcelona chair and benches upholstered with bare foam mats – see all benches on Dezeen.

Here's some more information from the designer:

This is the bench whose structure is grid constructed with stainless steel round rods. It is painted in six different colours with coloured pencil, and if you walk around it, the outward appearance of the overall colour changes according to the point of the view.

The outward form is a rectangular parallelepiped that has six surfaces, and a different colour is given to every surface. Since the grid is made with the fine round rods, the surface of each one of the round rods is painted in four different colours.

This grid has 1080 segments, so the numbers of the surfaces to be painted in different colours is 4320 – that is, quadruple of 1080. Since the area of each colour is very small, their colours are mixed and are recognised as one colour.

Although the numbers of colours used is only six, since the ratio of colours mixed changes with angles continuously, infinite colour will appear. I made this bench as if I drew a picture, inspired by the thought of the pictures by Impressionists where many subdivided colours make the overall appearance.

Title: Water Lily
Function: Bench for exhibition Neoreal in the Forest
Date of manufacture: 2012
Size: W 1600mm / D 400mm / H 400mm
Material: 2.6mm stainless rod, coloured pencil

Finish: Powder coating + coloured pencil + clear lacquer
Client: Canon
Producer: TRUNK
Design: Ryuji Nakamura & Associates (Ryuji Nakamura, Makiko Wakaki, Ran Tanaka)
Fabrication: Otti design works, Ryuji Nakamura & Associates

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Ryuji Nakamura appeared first on Dezeen.

Above: large Dowood lamp

The second collection from Colonel includes the Dowood lamp, which has a metal base and a beech shade painted with bright geometric forms. It comes as a ceiling lamp or a small or large table lamp.

Above: small Dowood lamp

The Diabolo lamp is available as a tripod, table or ceiling lamp and comprises a metal frame dressed with a gradient-printed fabric shade in mint, blue and pink, or yellow and pink.

Inspired by camping furniture, the beech Pondy table has turquoise crossrails and comes with a bench with yellow crossrails.

The new objects are shown alongside Colonel's first collection, which comprises Faces, a standing lamp with a decagonal fabric shade that tilts like an umbrella, and Caracas, a version of a '60s camping chair that comes in yellow, pink or blue.

Above: Diabolo table lamp

Colonel was founded by Isabelle Gilles and Yann Poncelet in 2010 and their products are available from their Paris boutique.

Above: Diabolo tripod lamp

Other products shown at Maison&Objet this year include a family of terracotta pots with rubber lids and a set of cutlery with long, slim handles like chopsticks – see other designs presented at Maison&Objet 2013.

Here's some more information from the designers:

Colonel was born from the meeting between Isabelle Gilles and Yann Poncelet around the famous cocktail made of vermouth and lime ice, in 2010. Their desire is to first draw fresh and contemporary products and furniture.

Above: Diabolo ceiling lamp

Interested in creation and traditional craftsmanship, Colonel decides to launch a new design furniture and products company while working in parallel on interiors. All the items are designed by Colonel: Isabelle Gilles & Yann Poncelet.

Above: Pondy table and bench

Collection

This new collection as the first collection of Colonel was inspired by outdoor furniture (beach, camping) aesthetics. It is a contemporary re-reading of this universe mixing colours, rhythms and patterns. It is mainly composed of wood, textile materials and surprising colors. The collection evokes summer, relaxation.

Dowood lamp

This raw and sophisticated new lamp is composed of a beech shade and a metal base. Colonel offers three different forms: small and large table lamps and a big ceiling lamp. Dowood lamp is available in seven colour sets. Beech, acrylic painting, metal.

» Small table lamp: Ø 20 cm / H 30 cm
» Medium table lamp: Ø 30 cm / H 25 cm
» Big ceiling lamp: Ø 40 cm / H3 0 cm

Above: Faces standing lamp

Pondy table

Colonel creates a table with a raw and minimal appearance, where wood and metal interlock to create a harmonious whole. This table comes with a bench. Its size invites to conviviality. Beech and metal.

» Table: l 160 cm x L 80 cm x H 73 cm (others sizes on request)
» Bench: l 145 cm x L 32 cm x H 46 cm

Diabolo lamp

This lamp is available in different shapes and colour ranges. Gradient fabrics come around the structure like a dress, and then close on it like a hood. Diabolo is available as table lamp and tripod. Colours: mint, blue / pink, yellow / pink. Gradient fabric and metal.

» Tripod lamp: Ø 45 cm / H 110 cm
» Table lamp: Ø 40 cm / H 38 cm
» Ceiling lamp: Ø 45 cm / H 37 cm

Above: Caracas chair

Faces lamp

Faces often changes appearance thanks to its large tilt decagonal shade. It could be compared to an umbrella. The white poliphane inside shade guides light according to his inclination. Beech and Kvadrat fabric.

Dimensions: H158 cm, D36-56 cm

Caracas chair

Inspired by garden furniture, «Caracas» is a very contemporary version of the 60s camping chair. Its large proportions invite to relax, its appearance suggests holidays. Caracas changes his appearence with a new graphic canvas. Yellow/pink/blue fabric - metal.

Size: H 80 cm / L 64 cm / P 53 cm

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by Colonel appeared first on Dezeen.

The B Bench features the distinctive crossing legs of the 1929 original but is reinterpreted as a flexible, modular system.

"I think it's interesting to make these references in design. Design is not about inventing new things all the time - design is an evolution of things," says Konstantin Grcic. "So this famous chair designed by Mies van der Rohe: we pick it up now so many years later and make it in a completely different way in terms of technology but also turning it into a more systematic product."

His bench can be any length from a one-seater chair up to a six-metre bench, with or without armrests. It can be upholstered or left as bare aluminium and is suitable for use indoors or outdoors. "We have created a kit of parts which can be changed into very different typologies," adds Grcic.

The B Bench will be presented by Spanish brand BD Barcelona Design at trade fair imm cologne in Germany next week.

Based in Munich, Grcic has also designed a series of tables with extruded aluminium tops for the brand, first shown in 2009, and he more recently created aluminium and pine furniture for Herzog & de Meuron's Parrish Art Museum. See all our stories about design by Konstantin Grcic.

BD Barcelona Design was the first design brand in Spain and recently celebrated its 40th birthday by commissioning designer Jaime Hayon to hand-paint 40 unique vases. It has also worked with contemporary designers including Doshi Levien and NHDRO. See all our stories about products from BD Barcelona Design.

Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Chair was designed for his famous Barcelona Pavilion, which is currently hosting an exhibition of junk from its own basement.

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for BD Barcelona Design appeared first on Dezeen.

Meike Harde created the furniture with the motivation to explore new methods of upholstery construction, aiming to create a stiff cushion from a flat foam mat.

"Other upholstery products are trying to use fabric without wrinkles. I want to use the natural creases in a big dimension as ornamentation, and to construct stiffness," explains Meike, adding that stretching fabric over foam to create a flat finish requires a difficult construction process that takes a lot of time.

By contrast, the simple, fast construction method that Meike has invented uses just three components: foam, rubber bands and wood.

The foam mat is layered and gathered tightly to create waves that are held together at the top and bottom with elastic bands. The cushion is then compressed and fixed using longer elastic bands in the opposite direction, before the wooden stool is inserted underneath the elastic.

This design avoids permanent connections between the foam and the wood, making it easy to replace cushions when they become worn.

The small stool, which Meike says "looks like broccoli, is made from a square piece of foam while the benches are made from a rectangular piece of foam.

When asked about the comfort of the stiff benches, Meike told Dezeen "the furniture should be used as a bench, not as a very soft armchair," comparing the comfort to that of Chesterfield leather furniture.

We have also featured a series of disturbing masks designed by Meike Harde, called Too Beautiful to be True.

Other benches and stools we have featured on Dezeen include a bench that can be converted into a chaise longue, or an armchair and a side table, and a collection of stools that can be used as tables or seats.

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by Meike Harde appeared first on Dezeen.