Adaptable
Text by Atrium Magazin für Wohnkultur, Design und Architektur
Schlieren, Switzerland
15.08.17
Urban nomads appreciate furniture that’s just as flexible as they are. XILOBIS shows how it’s done.
Sliding doors made of slate, wood or rusty iron give the shelving unit its individual charm
Anybody who has moved house a few times and struggled up narrow stairs carrying heavy cabinets knows what a crucial difference furniture that adapts to new living circumstances can make. And that is the starting point that inspires designer Mario Bissegger. His xilobis shelving system can be reconfigured, extended and conveniently transported as often as its owner likes. And all without tools, because the furniture is put together without any screws or fittings. The individual modules are held together by an ingenious system of cables and balls.
Even so, the result is the only straightforward thing about the system. It took years to develop xilobis, and its production calls for the utmost precision. Besides two carpentry firms from eastern Switzerland, various social institutions are involved as well: the small components are made in the sheltered workshops of the Stöckenweid Foundation, while employees of the Züriwerk Foundation run the central warehouse.
“It took a lot of persuasion to get the manufacturer to change the process for us,” explains Bissegger. “It’s more eco-friendly, looks more attractive and feels warmer and more natural – without affecting the quality. It also means a drastic drop in the amount of pollutants factory workers are exposed to.” According to the designer, it takes a while to understand xilobis properly. “In 13 years we’ve delivered more than 2,000 shelving units – and no two of them were the same. Sometimes I’m still amazed myself!”
Every shelving unit can be reconfigured and reinvented with a minimum of effort. The pigmented paints for the sliding doors are from kt.Color (top). The cavities for the metal balls and cables are milled by a CNC machine (middle). Mario Bissegger (bottom)
Every shelving unit can be reconfigured and reinvented with a minimum of effort. The pigmented paints for the sliding doors are from kt.Color (top). The cavities for the metal balls and cables are milled by a CNC machine (middle). Mario Bissegger (bottom)
×XILOBIS: Born in Ticino, Mario Bissegger has been developing wooden furniture for 30 years. He started working on the modular furniture system xilobis in his own joinery before getting together with business partner Stefan Plüss. Bissegger has been managing director of the firm since 2012 and still pursues his original philosophy of creating modern designer furniture that gives its owner maximum freedom.
Text: Mirjam Rombach
Photos: Mario Bissegger (1), Fabian Jeckel (1), Jean-Jacques Ruchti (1), René Ruis (1)
Xilobis
Im Viadukt, Bogen ...1
Viaduktstrasse 85
8005 Zürich
Tel. 0041 (0)43 466 43 29
zurich@xilobis.ch
