Vitra Haus: a fictive installation by Ilse Crawford

Harri and Astrid are fictional characters. Their loft is the perfect fusion of Finnish and German heritage: easy, understated and practical. They represent the shared values of Artek and Vitra, the two contemporary design brands that joined forces. Ilse Crawford of Studioilse has been invited to curate the design of the loft at the VitraHaus portraying the collections as they are in life, not just as artworks behind glass and came up with the following story:

This first joint exhibition takes the form of an apartment, lived in by fictional couple Hari and Astrid, in the VitraHaus, Weil am Rhein.

The loft is loosely divided into a studio and a living area, which is anchored by a long dining table that could serve several purposes going with the trend of multiple use in our daily live.

A grand piano in the studio stands for Harri’s work in music however several easels nod towards other artistic talents too.

This loft is essentially a space for work, rest and entertaining full of light and life. Who need anything else here?

The home of Harri (a musician) and Astrid (a set designer) is also their joint studio. Inspiration boards seem to overlap with no clear limit of the several working areas blending their different creativities.

At the centre of the studio you’ll find a joint desk, where the couple can work at either end, surrounded by a rather huge mood board and loads of light.

Finnish designer Alvar Aalto says, that ‘every house should be a fruit of our endeavour to build an earthly paradise for people’. The loft will be open to the public all year, as an extension of the Vitra campus. I have always loved case study installations, such an interesting creative assignment that must be. Imagine how people live, what they love, how they spend their day… A dream project, right?

Read more at Wallpaper  | Photography Felix Odell