Shelving system with Swedish design in upcycled material gets awarded for Best Design at the Danish Design Awards.

The Shelving system Bibliothèque, designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Kvadrat and Really, produced by ASPLUND, are rewarded with award for Best Design at the Danish Design Awards 2018.

On the 20th of September the esteemed gala Danish Design Awards took place in Copenhagen. The aim was to highlight the best of Danish design, hosted by BO BEDRE, Bolig Magasinet and Costume Living. The Swedish-designed shelving system Bibliothèque was awarded the price of Best Design. On the initiative of Danish companies Really and Kvadrat, the Swedish architect trio, Claesson Koivisto Rune, designed Bibliothèque using innovative textile material. The shelf is produced in Sweden by appreciated furniture company ASPLUND*.

Bibliothèque is a freestanding shelving system made out of Solid Textile Board: a hard-density material made from end-of-life cotton and wool from the fashion and textile industries, as well as households. Claesson Koivisto Rune was specially invited by Really and Kvadrat to create this unique project to demonstrate the potential of Solid Textile Board and Acoustic Textile Felt for use in furniture and interior. This innovative design was presented during Milan Furniture Fair earlier this year.

“Sustainability has always been an important element of our activities. We want to make furniture that will stand up to usage and that serves a clear purpose in both public environments and people’s homes. ASPLUND has enjoyed a long and successful collaboration with Claesson Koivisto Rune, so when they were commissioned by Really to design a new product using their pioneering material it was obvious for us to work together,” says Thomas Asplund, CEO of ASPLUND.

The jury motivation
"We need to start thinking about where materials come from! Bibliothèque is a great example where experienced designers have experimented with textile resources, and the result is more than successful. The shelf is graphically beautiful. The judges were especially impressed by the fact that it’s held up by a neat base that makes it simple and elegant. Up until now up cycling has been more scientific than commercial but Bibliothèque changes this. This is not just a piece of art but also a product with a sustainable profile that’s pointing towards the future. One of the main reasons why Bibliothèque wins this award is the fact that the shelf together with it’s designers and producers takes on an important challenge regarding responsible product development, taking sustainable design to a new level. Let this be an inspiration for everyone, and hope that when we stand here in ten years from now an environmentally conscious design will be a matter of course".

Innovation and sustainability
The textile industry is the second most polluting industry in the world with increasing difficulty to contain the waste created of the industry. By 2020, it’s estimated that annual consumption of textile fibres will reach 110tonnes. Despite the fact that 95 % could be recycled, only one fifth of the waste is recovered and re-used. The rest is incinerated or consigned to landfill.

“We are very proud to have the opportunity to work with Really as a supplier. As a manufacturer and producer, we are eagerly looking forward to seeing what their material can bring to the market and our customers,” says Thomas Asplund.

About Really
Really was founded in 2013 by Wickie Meier Engström, Klaus Samsøe and Ole Smedegaard. Responding to the urgent global issue of waste, Really upcycles end-of-life textiles to create materials that challenge the design and architecture industries to rethink their use of resources and to design with a circular economy in mind. Solid Textile Board by Really is a high-quality engineered board made from end-of-life cotton and wool sourced from fashion and textiles industries and households. The manufacturing does not involve the use of dyes, water or toxic chemicals and generates only recyclable waste. The material used can eventually be re-granulated and formed into new boards. A champion of circular design, Really encourages innovative concepts that prolong the lifespan of textile resources. Our ambition is a no-waste solution. (www.reallycph.com)

About Kvadrat
As Europe’s leading manufacturer of design textiles, Kvadrat creates high quality contemporary textiles and textile-related products for private and public spaces. A responsible approach to production and processes is part of Kvadrat’s corporate and design philosophy. Respect for the environment is a guiding principle. (www.kvadrat.dk)

About Claesson Koivisto Rune
Claesson Koivisto Rune is a Swedish architectural partnership, founded in Stockholm, in 1995, by Mårten Claesson, Eero Koivisto and Ola Rune. It started as an architectural firm, but has since become an Internationally acclaimed, multi-disciplinary office with an equal emphasis on both architecture and design. Project categories include buildings, hotels, homes, shops, offices, exhibitions, kitchens, sanitary ware, tableware, glassware, furniture, textiles, tiles, lighting, electronics, candy and even a trophy (the Swedish TV-award Kristallen). (www.claessonkoivistorune.se)