Marcel Wanders

Marcel Wanders is a Dutch designer and art director in the Powerhouse Studio in Amsterdam. He is internationally known best for his Knotted Chair design.

Marcel Wanders
Marcel Wanders’ portrait

Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marcel_Wanders_portrait.jpg

Early Years of Education and the Founding of Moooi

Born in Boxtel, on 2 July 1963, Wanders graduated cum laude from the Hogeschoolvoor de Kunsten Institute of the Arts Arnhem in 1988 after being expelled from the Design Academy Eindhoven.

In 2000 he opened his studio in Amsterdam, gaining attention in 1996 with his Knotted Chair, which paired high tech materials with ‘low tech’ production methods. In 2001 Wanders co-founded the design label Moooi, of which he is co-owner and art director.

In 2014 his Powerhouse Studio counted around 50 international design specialists over 1700 projects for private clients and premium brands such as Alessi, Bisazza, KLM, Flos, Swarovski, and Puma, among others.

Ceramics By Wanders
Marcel Wanders,-Ceramics in the Speed Art Museum,2014

Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/69973640-21d5-4cf8-9cd1-a8a810a1afcd by Sailko

Furniture by Wanders
Marcel wanders- Furniture in the Indianapolis Museum of Art,2000

Image source:https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/56ef338f-6f5b-4627-8517-05c0b4295aa3

Marcel Wanders -Glassware in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, 2007
Marcel Wanders -Glassware in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, 2007

Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/12f3aad3-832c-4bcd-aa83-c2d4cbd19a9f by Sailko

Notable Projects

Interior projects have become increasingly important in Marcel’s work, embraced for their enveloping of people in multi-layered, sensory experiences. Notable projects to date include such iconic interior architectural concepts as the Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht, Kameha Grand Hotel in Bonn, the Mondrian South Beach Hotel in Miami, Quasar Istanbul Residences, and the Villa Moda flagship store in Bahrain – to name but a few – as well as private residences in Amsterdam and Mallorca.

Kameha Grand Hotel in Bonn
Kameha Grand Hotel in Bonn

Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/f7582121-ce7c-409c-a125-a801545db4cc by HerryB

Kameha Grand Hotel in Bonn
Kameha Grand Hotel in Bonn

Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/5edf9bba-81ed-4b7e-bf46-0a21b9db49e4 by HerryB

Kameha Grand Hotel in Bonn
Kameha Grand Hotel in Bonn

Image source:https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/170e701d-96f7-4ec8-8e5f-0e4c5488e6c0

Marcel Wanders Studio

Located in Amsterdam, the Marcel Wanders firm is a leading product and interior design studio credited with 1,900+ iconic projects. Under the creative leadership of Marcel Wanders, who is supported by Gabriele Chiave since 2014, the multi-disciplinary team of 40 breathes creativity across a multitude of projects. The studio’s work brings to life smart and innovative products, multi-sensory hospitality interiors, surprising in-flight tableware, sophisticated cosmetics, private homes and so much more

Some of the company’s clients include premium brands such as Alessi, Baccarat, Bisazza, Christofle, Kosé Corporation, Flos, KLM, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Louis Vuitton, Morgans Hotel Group, Puma and Swarovski. Today, many of Marcel Wanders’ designs are celebrated in some of the most renowned museums in the world, including the Centre Pompidou (FR), MoMA (US), and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (NL).

The Mondrian South Beach Hotel in Miami
The Mondrian South Beach Hotel in Miami – Tower Suite

Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/15c54d68-06c9-44db-b73c-e0cabc66b44e by miamism

The Mondrian South Beach Hotel in Miami
The Mondrian South Beach Hotel in Miami

Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/0c420b87-e3ae-4366-9d1d-508b70347869 

The Contemporary Renaissence of Humanism

Many of Marcel Wanders designs combine recognizable archetypes and historical influences with innovative materials.
Rooted in a humanistic perspective, the Dutch designer brings back humanity in the technocratic world of design, ushering in what he calls ‘the Contemporary Renaissance of Humanism’.

Creating a reality in which designer, craftsperson and user feel welcomed and embraced. With each new project, Marcel Wanders defies design dogma, preferring to focus instead on the holistic, romantic, surreal, archetypical, rather than the technocratic.

The Knotted Chair: the Propeller to International Stardom

The Knotted Chair is probably the most famous piece of design made by Marcel Wanders, surely the project which helped propel the Dutch designer to international stardom in 1996.

Wanders’ Knotted Chair is made from lengths of hand-braided carbon fiber cord, over braided with aramid, a strong and lightweight synthetic material commonly used in the aerospace industry. The carbon cored cords are also impregnated with epoxy resin to provide rigidity.

The chair is manufactured by hanging the epoxy-soaked knotted structure in a wooden frame to dry, letting gravity define the final form of the seat. Thus, the chair has the delicate appearance of handcrafted macramé – a technique for making textiles using knotting rather than weaving – but is also extremely durable and light thanks to the knotted pattern which forms a space frame structure that is strong enough to support the weight of the person sitting in it.

Wanders produced the first prototypes himself before Italian furniture brand Cappellini manufactured a limited run of 1000 pieces. The chair was first presented in Milan and is now listed in the permanent collections of a number of prominent design museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the V&A museum in London.

Knotted Chair by Wanders
Marcel Wanders – Knotted Chair – 1996 – Boijmans V 1894

Image source: https://magazine.designbest.com/it/store-eventi/store/design-store-caffe-hotel-droog-design-amsterdam-design-fan/


Info sources: 

https://www.marcelwanders.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Wanders

https://www.dezeen.com/2015/12/14/video-interview-marcel-wanders-knotted-chair-most-loved-movie/

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