Since it was founded by two cabinetmakers in 1952, BoConcept has grown to become one of the leading brands in Danish design. So it was only a matter of time until the company, which is known for its contemporary furniture, joined forces with a fellow Danish design powerhouse: Architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group, or BIG, which has offices in Copenhagen and New York City.
“BIG’s wealth of experience in architectural design and construction was of great interest to BoConcept,” explains Claus Ditlev Jensen, BoConcept’s collection and visuals director. “They offered us a way to understand how apartments and public buildings are planned to be built in the years ahead, inspiring us in how different types of spaces can be used.”
Both parties are formidable forces within the Danish architecture and design scene; however, they looked to the Eastern world when creating their new Nawabari collection. Derived from the term “nawa,” which means rope in Japanese, the collection draws inspiration from the idea of stretching rope.
“When starting out with this collection we were looking for a new way of expressing furniture,” explains Jakob Lange, partner and head of products at BIG. “We were interested in the forms that are created when a material is bound with rope. When we translate that into a 3D object it’s not behaving exactly like you think; the result is these sculptural organic shapes that become the core of this furniture family.”
A total of seven offerings—including two sofa sizes, an armchair, two coffee tables, and two pouffe sizes—the Nawabari collection explores sculptural shapes in a way that adds a playfulness to BoConcept’s otherwise streamlined inventory. “A design like Nawabari is an extraordinary surprise for our customers who know BoConcept for timeless style, color and unwavering quality,” Ditlev Jensen says. “This design brings forth a cool and casual look which is more outspoken in its expression.”
While Nawabari’s bulbous silhouettes offer a forward-thinking flair, the collection looks to a brighter, greener place with its sustainability efforts. “Outside of BIG’s wealth of experience in architectural design, their commitment to sustainable materials aligns perfectly with our vision for a more environmentally conscious future,” adds Jensen. Available in six colorways, the Nawabari’s pieces are all upholstered in Gabriel’s wool-effect Blend, which carries the EU Ecolabel and is both. Greenguard and OEKO-TEX-certified.
The Nawabari collection might draw inspiration from Japanese culture, but there’s plenty of Danish design baked into the collaboration’s DNA. “The Danish design tradition is all about keeping it simple, and getting down to the basic ingredients of furniture is something that we at BIG also believe is very important,” Lange adds. “With Nawabari, I think we’ve managed to create a family of furniture which formally expresses the essence of a very simple idea, tying with ropes.”
Currently, the Nawabari collection is exclusively available to the trade, but it will be retail-ready in spring 2024. That way, everyone can bring this East-meets-West excellence to their home.
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