After the excellent feedback received last year, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH (GTV) is back at Maison et Objet, an important international showcase for professionals in interior decoration, design and furnishings, presenting an overview of the latest in products.

These are offerings arising through co-operation with designers who make research one of the hallmarks of their creativity and are able to introduce their personal brand vision to the collection. It is a choice that confirms this historic brand’s profound dedication to design research and the link between past and future, with the aim of continuing with the innovation whilst on the path set by tradition.

Along with the latest offerings, there are some highly iconic designs, such as the WIENER STUHL designed by August Thonet in 1904 and presented in a new two-tone version; the CZECH chair designed in 1994 by Hermann Czech and the historic No. 1 and LOOS CAFÉ MUSEUM chairs. The first is a 1849 project by Michael Thonet, whilst the second was designed in 1898 by Adolf Loss for the famous Café Museum in Vienna.

2017 set-up
project by COUNTRYLAB
Styling: Paola Pastorini Studio
Featured in a new set-up: GamFratesi’s TARGA. GTV’s first collection of upholstered items, which includes an elegant sofa available in two sizes, 160 and 200 cm, a lounge chair and a pouf. A design inspired by a new understanding of comfort – ideal both for contract spaces intended for more close and concentrated socializing, and for residential environments with an unconventional personality.

All elements of the brand’s tradition come together to characterize this exclusive project: the curved beech wood supports the wide cushioned seating, while the padded back is finished in a frame made of cane, into which the ellipsoidal plate bearing the name of the project is inserted. What is new for 2017, premiered in Paris, is the new version characterized by the refined legs finished in brass, in line with the latest interior design trends are marking a return to the metal – one which can provide appeal to stylish contemporary furniture projects.

To complete the set, a small table and stool from the SINGLE CURVE collection, part of an extended range that includes a dining table, a low and high bar stool – a perfect interpretation of the refined elegance of the Nendo Japanese minimalism, which in this project abstracts the styles of the brand in order to reinterpret them in a contemporary way. It is rigorous, and at the same time poetic approach, pointing to the essence of the design, where the steam-bent wood takes on one sole structural detail and is thus able to focus attention on each element.

The small table with a beech wood frame embellished with a steam-curved element is available in two heights, with glass, lacquered or marble tops (shown here in the marble and lacquered versions), so as to fit any furniture environment with versatility.

Beside this, a fine set dedicated to the light playfulness of the CIRQUE stools by Martino Gamper, these too offered in an original version with rings in a brass finish. The curved element – the leitmotiv of the brand – is inserted into the base in an unexpected manner, outlining the profile of the seat through a chain of two or three rings in a brass finish which embellishes the legs over their entire length. It is an aesthetic virtuosity, which integrates seamlessly with the functionality of the seat.

The display flows into a second relaxation area, designed in its entirety by the Swedish team Front. The HIDEOUT LOUNGE CHAIR stars in this area – combining comfort and design sophistication; renewing with originality the brand’s hallmarks.

The structure of the HIDEOUT, here in black lacquer, includes a square section in steam-bent beech wood and is enriched by a wide and comfortable seat, which is upholstered, as is the central part of the backrest. It is an ample embrace that continues to the top with parts in cane, even defining the rounded profile of the sides, which protrude beyond the seat.

Together, the ARCH COFFEE TABLE, a small table that fits with versatility in a variety of dedicated living areas, consists of three inclined support points in steam-bent beech wood, giving movement and lightness. The flat surface, made of wood or glass, is bordered by steam-bent beech wood, presented in Paris in black. It is an allusion to the traditional products of the company, with a significant update to the standards contemporary tastes.

Enrich the set, FURIA , a playful bent beech wood rocking horse, designed to entertain the smallest ones at home. A new icon of style, inspired by the classic rocking chair, and among GTV’s strongest prototypes, is intended to provide maximum irony where GTV’s iconic lines meet the stylistic lightness of the Front.

Further inside, a sophisticated dining area has at its center the RING table, characterized by a light and elegant structure that takes on the characteristics of the brand with renewed exuberance. The large rings in steam-bent wood support the slightly inclined legs, creating an unusual play of curves in supporting the beech wood flat surface. Around the table, the BODYSTUHL and CAFÈSTUHL chairs, by Nigel Coates.

Thanks to the finesse of the steam-bent beech wood, BODYSTUHL has a sinuous profile characterized by a variable sectional structure. The wide seat and ergonomic backrest, made of cane, are based on Lehnstuhl shapes and materials already created by the British designer for Wiener GTV Design.

In succession with the refined sinuosity of the Lehnstuhl and the Bodystuhl, CAFÉSTUHL is a new, original reinterpretation in the Thonet tradition, with a contemporary twist. Extremely comfortable and ergonomic, it is characterized by its sculptured back, with an anthropomorphic nature reminiscent of the typical triangular shape of the shoulder blades. Designed to furnish domestic environments of strong character, and ideal for contract spaces, this elegant offering incorporates the characteristic coiled process for the under seat, as is common to all the pieces designed by the British designer for GTV.

The exhibition continues with a home office space furnished with the ALLEGORY DESK and the WIENER STUHL. It is an ideal starting point for the home office spaces and more intimate contract solutions – GamFratesi’s ALLEGORY desk enriches Wiener GTV Design’s furniture range with elegance and simplicity. The large disk in steam-bent hardwood houses a cane screen and provides the desk with the brand’s iconic elements, combining the flat surface with the curved base section.

The coarse weave also lends itself to the versatile use of this item – from being purely aesthetic, it becomes functional, allowing you to attach additional accessories and reminders to its weave. The WIENER STUHL – a brand icon – is the chair that best sums up the minimal design of this traditional furniture company.

The structure is made up of just a few elements in steam-bent beech wood. The backrest and the rear legs are formed from a single piece. WIENER STUHL is also available in an original two-tone version. It’s one that enhances its structural peculiarities – the backrest and the rear legs are shaped from a single piece – using a new chromatism.

On the opposite side of the stand, another icon: CZECH, the chair designed in 1994 by Hermann Czech which marked the turning point of modern furniture – towards emotionalism and the cult of memory: a modern design that seems to be from another era. Solid and sturdy looking, the CZECH modulates the harmony of steam-bent beechwood with its pure and abstract lines, enhanced by the various finishes available. The seat frame, curved and in one piece, is supported by an arch structure which gives stability and robustness. It is also available in an upholstered version, both with or without armrests.

Along with these two icons, to mark the present and the future of GTV, there is MAJORDOMO by Nathan Yong, a Singaporean designer with a minimalist style who uses personal oriental references in this stylish multi-functional object. A real majordomo (or “butler”), designed for the bedroom, though also ideal in refined contract projects, its name is a clear indication of its complete call to service: it is in fact, a coat rack that can also act as a stand for clothing and footwear; though that is not all: you can also conveniently take a seat there to facilitate putting on your shoes.