The Rising Shell

Robert van Embricqs

Dutch Designer Robert van Embricqs studied Architecture at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Post graduation, he focused his attention on finding new ways to adapt the techniques he developed during his studies. These can be found on chair designs and different projects in smaller and bigger scale. In his research, Van Embricqs became fascinated by the aesthetically pleasing, yet intricate complexity of the natural form in bone structure, plant life and movement. To what degree is the object you're creating capable of dictating its own design? This is the one question that always remained ever present. This led him to develop a minimalistic design approach that can best be described as a collaboration between designer and his material. With his design for furniture Van Embricqs starts out by making small incisions in a flat surface, then sits back to watch and study the otherwise rigid wood’s reaction to the new shape it is able to assume. An important aspect of his design process is the conscious focus on marrying functionality with an aesthetically pleasing look. Too often, flexibility is designed with mostly practicality in mind, resulting in some rather unappealing final products. Therefor his main aim is to combine functionality & art. Aside continuing his furniture line, Robert van Embricqs establishes flexible concepts on bigger scale in which movement creates interaction between the users and the architecture. He focused his attention on finding new ways to adapt the techniques he developed for outdoor and interior solutions. His design approach gave him several awards for its Rising Chair including the Red Dot Design Award for Best Concept and Woodchallenge in the Netherlands, both Audience and Jury price. The Rising Chair became part of the National Centre of Visual Art in France and the Rising Table has been awarded with the Fubiz award 3th prize.