EOOS
For Gernot Bohmann, Harald Gründl, and Martin Bergmann of EOOS, design is a poetic discipline. The three graduated from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria, and founded EOOS in Vienna in 1995. They have since been working in furniture and product design for brands like Herman Miller, Alessi, Lamy, Laufen, Nuki, and Zumtobel. Since 2010, EOOS has added social design for social impact to their portfolio. Primarily working in the WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) sphere, partners include the Gates Foundation and the International Red Cross.
“We call our design process ‘poetical analysis.’ As soon as we find a word, a strong intuitive image, or a ritual, the process starts. The idea lives its only life, and we just have to follow.”
EOOS designed Crosshatch lounge seating with parachute cords to impart seat and back support. “We have designed a wooden structure,” explains Bergmann, “with a floating basket made from parachute cords. The cords are pulled down, and the chair becomes a system of internal tension. Without them, the chair would be unstable.”
A playful twist on expectations is part of the EOOS ethos of working on “authentic objects.” According to Bergmann, “This means for us that we want to achieve a synthesis of construction and poetical expression. We are fascinated by how much emotional quality comes out of rationality.”
