Nortstudio x Wever & Ducré

Nortstudio, founded in Antwerp in 2016 by Jef De Brabander and Kathleen Opdenacker, combines Jef's industrial engineering background and Kathleen's graphic design expertise. Their work focuses on handcrafted furniture and accessories, featuring colorful, graphic designs that blend two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements. Drawing inspiration from architecture, Italian design, and various visual arts, they emphasize meticulous craftsmanship and material experimentation.

Urban Shapes

Life in the city.

Finding harmony throughout an enormous variety is a daily challenge.
But a city on the grow is also a nonstop source of inspiration.

Rough forms and materials scattered around on various construction sites waiting to be used and to obtain a specific function.
By taking these materials and forms out of their context and combining them in a completely different way, a special tension is created.

Inspired by these urban shapes we designed an inviting bench.

In our design, we use three shapes derived from primary forms. These shapes are linked together by a grid.
By seeing the grid as a connector, different configurations can be built by combining the elements, making this a modular design.

By creating a defiant bench, we see our design as an enrichment of public spaces such as museums and parks. Naturally the bench is also suitable for private use.

Because of the importance of visual uniformity, the grid is made of identical bearing bars and crossbars in both directions.
The geometric lines and shapes obtained by the grid become graphic elements and have an aesthetic value.

The grid fits perfectly in the grooves on the top of the elements whereby a smooth surface is obtained which improves the comfort.