It was top secret until the press conference on April 16th, when the heavy gray curtains were opened revealing the core of the exhibition “For You Everyone”: Cosm chair, designed by Studio 7.5, did not disappoint expectations both in aesthetics and functionality.
We met Prof. Burkhard Schmitz of Studio 7.5, at the Herman Miller showroom in Milan; in the video interview he summarizes the main features of this seating family they worked on for more than four years, and represents a culmination of two decades of engineering and design research with Herman Miller and a deep understanding of the science behind how people sit and work.
With a move toward shared and contemporary workplaces, Cosm is not only great for individuals, but it’s also the ultimate shared chair.
Cosm’s unique patented Auto-Harmonic Tilt instantly provides balanced support and movement corresponding to the user’s body, posture, and seated position. While previous office chairs need to be individually adjusted to specific bodies, Cosm instantaneously and comfortably adjusting to whoever is sitting in it “to forget you’re sitting in a chair at all” as Prof. Schmitz says.
Studio 7.5’s design approach is notably hands on; they believe in testing the product first-hand and interactively redesigning until they reach the solution they’re looking for. Studio 7.5 built and tested full-scale prototype after prototype developed by hand along with the help of a new technology which uses aluminum dust and resin to 3D-print fully-functional models.
Not limiting ergonomic support to mechanics, the frame and suspension work in tandem with the Auto-Harmonic Tilt to enhance the experience of total comfort. The continuous contour of the suspension envelops each person’s individual form, delivering dynamic, uninterrupted support. Even Cosm’s arms were precision-designed for comfort in a process of constant sculpting, testing, and re-sculpting. The innovative new Leaf Arms cradle the elbow no matter the size or shape of your body (other armchair versions are also available).
It comes in three back heights and the holistic approach to design is taken into Cosm’s aesthetics, where a monochrome “dipped-in-colour” option presents the chair in a single hue from top to bottom, available in three colours—Canyon, Glacier, and Nightfall. More traditional options in the form of Mineral, Graphite, and Carbon are also available.
