Niels van Eijk and Miriam van der Lubbe BiBu Bench
It looks so simple. The BiBu settee designed by Niels van Eijk and Miriam van der Lubbe consists of nothing more than a number of chair frames with different slats on them. But the thinking behind it goes a little further. 'We look for the values in a product that everyone knows,' says Van der Lubbe, who has been running a studio with Van Eijk since 1998. 'Then we try to do something slightly different with them. A frame like this makes you think of a chair, but when you put three of them together and lay slats on them, is it a chair or is it a settee? The combination is confusing.'
The answer lies in the length, which is variable. By putting several frames together the BiBu settee can grow into a gigantic piece of furniture. Its appearance can alter too: the slats are made of Iroko, which turns a lovely grey through weathering, but the metal frames are also available in different colours. The furniture is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The feet are therefore strikingly large. 'As the settee has to be capable of outdoor use, they have a large bearing area. This stops the settee sinking into soft ground.'
This is not the first time the two designers have collaborated with van Esch. The designs Queue and Half A Table are also theirs.
Design:
Niels van Eijk and Miriam van der Lubbe
Manufacturer:
van Esch
Niels van Eijk designs
Miriam van der Lubbe designs
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