What led you to examine the topic of “flooring” more closely? Which aspects have you focused on in particular and what concept did you come up with? Normal Studio: When Stefan Diez approached us with a proposal for a collaborative project with these flooring companies, we decided to explore the specifics of this area of design. We worked together with two companies each with a different product focus. The first a carpet manufacturer that produces very soft products; the other a company that manufactures floor panels that look like the original materials they are based on, such as wood or concrete. With Vorwerk we worked on a series of rugs inspired by the shape of marine organisms. Parts of the rugs protrude and arranged side by side, in complex groups they seem to grow and occupy the space; in the end, the rugs become reminiscent of corals, anemones or sponges. What was the greatest challenge you faced when implementing your project? Normal Studio: Time was short and we had to find strong ideas very quickly in keeping with the company’s identity. Do you have a favorite type of flooring, both personally and from a designer’s perspective? Normal Studio: Personally we love natural materials like wood, wool, stone and concrete. They feel so pleasant beneath your feet.
For the three installations for Balterio we have chosen use their laminate flooring in a completely new way. The flooring comes to form new shapes such as a large bench or platform, free-form decking or elaborate wall cladding. We have played on both the hyper-realistic appearance of the material and the dichotomy of concrete and solid wood.
