Maharam Polder by Hella Jongerius for Vitra 04.12

For a special edition of one hundred pieces Hella Jongerius dressed her iconic Polder sofa in new textiles by Maharam.

"I try to combine finds from the archives with contemporary patterns and techniques," says Hella Jongerius. The Maharam Polder Sofa, which is reminiscent of the flat polder landscapes in the Netherlands and Flanders, combines these findings with high-tech and handicraft, retrospection and the present. A day at home becomes an excursion into a familiar landscape. Colours and materials indicate the weather conditions; ornaments and textures differentiate the topography of the room. The horizon is lined with various kinds of comfortable cushions.

The limited edition of the Maharam Polder Sofa is an outstanding example of Hella Jongerius' unique talent for design and textiles, bringing together her long-time partners Vitra and Maharam. In new warm and earthy shades botanical patterns stretch out between the flat backrest and the seat, and fabric textures are put on display, highlighting embroidered textiles from the Layers and Borders collections by Hella Jongerius.

Complementary are an additional pillow in a fabric by Hella Jongerius and Bovist, her decorative pouffe from 2005 in matching colours.

The Maharam Polder will be on view during Salone del Mobile at the Vitra booth on the fairgrounds (hall 20, stand C05/D04) and also as part of a Kvadrat satellite exhibition at the Jil Sander shop at Via Pietro Verri, 6.

For the limited edition of the Maharam Polder sofa, Hella Jongerius combined six textiles from the Maharam collection, putting into use some of her own most recent designs. Her choices also highlight other exclusive fabrics by the Maharam Design Studio and Kvadrat, Maharam's partner since 2001.

Layers by Hella Jongerius consists of three landscape-based embroidered patterns: Layers Garden, Layers Park and Layers Vineyard, available in single and double layer variations. Wool felt is bound together through machine-embroidery,while hand-cutting creates windows of pattern and lends a distinct artisanal character to the double layer versions.

Borders by Hella Jongerius, with its irregular grid of embroidery of botanical compositions, dotted lines and pied de poule, is an industrial translation of a localized craft technique from Mexico.

Cobblestone is a homespun weave which creates an irregular rectangular checker pattern with either contrasting or tonal colour combinations and gives the effect of a hand-woven textile.

Exaggerated Plaid by Paul Smith is a modern take on Scottish heritage, resulting in a rustic, warmly woollen cloth.

Mohair Supreme stands out for its pile height and density. As one of the oldest natural textile fibres in use, the long and lustrous hair of the Angora goat can be distinguished by its warm and silky feel.

Hallingdal is the woollen fabric used for the large base structure of the sofa. Introduced in 1965 as Kvadrat’s first textile by designer Nanna Ditzel, it has become known as one of the most durable upholstery textiles by the Danish manufacturer.

About Vitra
Vitra is a furniture company dedicated to developing healthy, intelligent, inspiring and durable solutions for the office, the home and for public spaces. Vitra's products and concepts are developed in Switzerland by applying a diligent design process that brings together the company's engineering excellence with the creative genius of leading international designers. It is our goal to create products with a high functional and aesthetic life expectancy.

Maharam by Kvadrat
The longstanding partnership of Denmark-based Kvadrat and New York-based Maharam is founded on a shared philosophy of design innovation and service excellence. Leaders in their respective markets, their combined product offering represents the largest range of textiles available worldwide. Maharam represents Kvadrat in North America while Kvadrat represents Maharam in Europe. The two companies operate joint ventures in Australia and the U.A.E.

Maharam Polder by Hella Jongerius (back)

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Maharam Polder by Hella Jongerius

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Maharam Polder by Hella Jongerius (angle)

Hi-Resolution file size: 1.99 MB
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Maharam Polder by Hella Jongerius (detail)

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Bovist by Hella Jongerius

Hi-Resolution file size: 3.4 MB
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Queen's Cushion by Hella Jongerius

Hi-Resolution file size: 3.6 MB
credit: Vitra
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