SYSTEM ADDICT: Artis Space Systems’ Supergrid™

Everything in design has a history. And when it comes to system furniture that can be integrated into open office spaces as well as functioning as a room divider, the M125 furniture system designed by Hans Gugelot certainly deserves a mention.

Gugelot, a lecturer in product design at the now-famous School of Design in Ulm, began developing system furniture in 1950. His approach to thinking in modules had a great influence not only on furniture design, but also on the design of Braun audio equipment, which began at the end of the 1950s to regard playback systems as components, as 'building blocks'. It was precisely this systematic, modular approach to design that, in the middle of the last century, Gugelot shaped like no other designer.

But let's now move to the present: Artis GmbH in Berlin is a company dedicated, among other things, to the development and production of system furniture. Founded in 1994 as a classic joinery company, today it is based not far from the former Tempelhof Airport on Columbiadamm. Over 25 years, the company has made a name for itself for being able to realise technically complex individual projects in the furniture sector.

The company, which has grown to around 30 employees, is still managed and owned by the two founders, Holger Meyer and Wolf Deiß – experts in their field. Together with their team as well as the specialists of Dark Horse Innovation, Meyer and Deiß have developed a modular, space-creating, office furniture system called Supergrid™, which is independent, flexible and individually adaptable to modern office environments – from the basic concept down to the smallest detail.

As a way of marketing the system, Artis Space Systems GmbH was founded at the end of 2018 as a sister company, and its website https://supergrid.systems is explicitly aimed at architects and room planners. Here, the Supergrid™ system, with all its options and modules, is presented in a visually compelling way.

Its load-bearing structure, its 'skeleton' so to speak, consists of vertical ladders and horizontal cross struts made of 25 x 25mm square, steel tubes which are connected to each other using a specially developed fitting. Defined width, depth and height grids allow the installation of various extensions such as drawer, cupboard and seat modules.

And for all modules, as for the entire system, nothing more than a cordless screwdriver is required for assembly, disassembly and conversion. The construction principles of the patented connecting fitting ensure that the complete skeleton does not have to be dismantled when space is being redesigned. It is the heart of the system with which individual modules are coupled and decoupled.

Depending on the size of the working environment, Supergrid™ can be integrated into existing office spaces to create space, so that areas, even entire floors, can be structured using the system. Thus, very individual working environments can be created, adapted to the architectural dimensions of the space and the respective number of employees.

This also means that rooms are created exactly where they are needed and open spaces are optimally structured and equipped with all the necessary functions. In this way, the required storage spaces and cabinet elements are created, and office technology can be cogently integrated into the design.

A good example of what the system can actually achieve is Lufthansa Industry Solutions’ worktop concept in Raunheim near Frankfurt. It also shows how the overall appearance of the system can be colour-matched to the corporate design of a company.

The latest additions to the system – Supergrid™ frames on castors – are available from December 2019. These have been specially developed for workshops and offer easy-to-slide, vertical room elements. They are complemented by removable Supergrid™ diskettes, which can take on various functions such as whiteboards, for example.

And what other upcoming plans might they have in store? Wolf Deiß explains: 'We are continuously expanding the system and are currently testing off-grid components that supply power to monitors, luminaires and the like via rechargeable batteries. And there is also a desire for some greenery in the system. I’m sure we'll come up with something there too!'

© Architonic