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    Barber Osgerby Compact Armchair and Sofa

    Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby 2014

    The Compact Lounge Chair are Sofa are scaled for the workplace, with a lower back and reduced seat depth. Stitched seams distinguish the pieces and reinforce their architectural profile, which is softened by the curvature of cushions on each face. The signature cast aluminum leg of the furniture can be specified in chrome and painted finishes.

     

    The Barber Osgerby Lounge Collection also includes full-scale sofas, available in symmetric and asymmetric versions.

    Finishes

    View Approved KnollTextiles

    See approval matrices in the downloads section for Leather approvals.

    • color Red Coral
    • color Medium Metallic Grey
    • color Jet Black
    • color Chrome, Polished

    Dimensions

    Additional Info

    Construction and Details
    • Legs are die-cast aluminum with polished chrome or powder coat paint finish
    • Legs have adjustable nylon glide
    • Inner frame is hardwood and plywood with elastomeric sheet webbing and foam supported sit-through feature at cushion breaks
    • High density foam construction throughout with gel infused high density memory foam on top seating surface
    • All textiles must be railroaded, including COM
    Sustainable Design and Environmental Certification
    • Learn more about Barber Osgerby™ Compact Armchair & Sofa product certifications and materials at Ecomedes.

    Configure Barber Osgerby Compact Armchair and Sofa

    The configurator below is for reference purposes only. All options, finishes and sizes may not be represented.
    For the complete scope, please refer to the KnollStudio price list.
    (Two Seater Compact Sofa shown)


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    In 2013, Barber and Osgerby debuted their first collaboration with Knoll at Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano, before introducing their eponymous collection to the market the following year. Inspired by Florence Knoll’s iconic sofa—which, in turn, borrowed the aesthetic vocabulary of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s oeuvre—Barber and Osgerby began the design process by considering the chair as an architectural object, “Architecturally, we wanted to refer to the famous Florence Knoll Sofa. So we created this architectural, delineated envelope which is also supremely comfortable.”

    The chairs’ t-shaped legs are both a source of structure and support, fitting between the joints of the cushions to serve the dual purpose of foot and connector. The result is seamless design that does away with the  frame, creating the appearance of a wholly integrated piece of furniture composed of several different components. For this reason, Osgerby contends, “The foot is really the icon of the sofa. It fits between each one of the arms and the seats, which are the architectural building blocks of the sofa."

    Internationally acclaimed designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby founded their studio in 1996 after graduating with Master’s degrees in Architecture from The Royal College of Art in London. Alongside their eponymous studio, in 2001 Barber and Osgerby founded Universal Design Studio, now recognized as one of the world’s most innovative creative design consultancies working in architecture, interiors and exhibition design.

    They have developed collections for several major furniture manufacturers as well as limited edition pieces and one-off works for both private and public commissions. BarberOsgerby’s work is held in permanent collections around the world including the V&A Museum, London; New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art; London's Design Museum; and the Art Institute of Chicago.

    In 2012, the pair launched MAP, a strategy-based industrial design studio that draws on the creative and commercial skills of Barber and Osgerby to provide design intuition, creative direction and research to ambitious clients. That same year, Barber and Osgerby were honored with the appointment to design the London 2012 Olympic Torch.

    Edward and Jay have been recognized in the Queen’s Birthday Honours and awarded OBEs for their services to the design industry.