Activity-based offices, slides and playrooms in the office or work from the sofa at home? Now when greater demands are placed on our creative abilities in our progressive thought society our offices change as a consequence. What is required to design creative environments?
Based on the Scandinavian culture, marked by transparency and flat hierarchies, Kinnarps is going on an expedition in the world of creativity under the heading Scandinative, which is a play on the terms ”Scandinavian” and ”Creative”. The exhibition in La Pelota during the Milan Design Week, designed by Luca Nichetto , investigates the link between design and creativity in working environments.
The dynamic installation is built on several levels, intersecting with each other, in order to create multiple paths and points of view from which it is possible to observe the exhibition. Using sliding walls, spaces and routes constantly change. They reveal, at times, office areas, green oases and bodies of water, surprising the visitors and stimulating them to choose new and unexpected directions. The environment is also enriched with plants and green areas with tall trees, and a small lake that reflects the Swedish landscape and stimulates creativity with its references to childhood and to one of the favourite games from that age: competing with friends at skimming a flat stone on the water’s surface.
“What I need in my ideal workspace’ is condensed in this project, a space where the user constantly finds himself in front of a new juncture, which, by its own nature, imposes a choice and, above all, it changes the perspective. Similar to what happens in Venice during the high water (acqua alta): where you need to change your usual routes and the obstructed alleys force you to find new ways” says Luca Nichetto.
The key is to design environments where it feels safe to take risks, but which also encourage playfulness and participation.In short Kinnarps’ five concepts are: Build and Change, Disorient Us, Out On A Limb, Play Hard, Ecosystem Of Ideas.
Text by Gabriele Masi.
Illustrations by Elin Svensson.
Title: Scandinative Workspaces.
Where: Fuorisalone La Pelota , Via Palermo 10, Milano (Brera Design District).
When: 8 /13 April 2014.
Opening hours: Tuesday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m to 10 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 12 midnight, Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Captions
1,2, Build and Change: Give people the power to change their surrounding themselves and create the conditions for free thoughts.
3, Disorient Us: Unexpected architectonic solutions encourage creativity.
4, Out On A Limb: Creativity flourishes in contexts where people dare to take risks – and this refers to environments too.
5, Play Hard: Play neutralises social and hierarchical structures and creates conditions for innovation.
6, Ecosystem Of Ideas: A majority of creative solutions stem from informal meetings. Actively creating areas where people meet spontaneously is a way to increase creativity.
