Thibault Dussex & Yann Mathys, founders of EGLI studio.
Hi Thibault, Yann, can you introduce yourself?
We are Egli Studio, a design office based in Renens, near Lausanne, Switzerland.
We work in multiple fields such as furniture, products, spaces and industrial designs at various scales, from unique pieces to series production.
Our design is the result of encounters and exchanges with people like our customers, craftsmen, engineers, artists and experts just to name a few.
Our aesthetics are inspired by clear lines and manufacturing processes along with a strong will to build sustainable and durable projects.
How did you start?
We met at design school in Geneva, almost 15 years ago, and pursued our studies in different grades until we have been reunited in the same classroom at ECAL. Since then, we collaborated on a few student projects and decided to open a design office together after we graduate. A couple years later we officially launched Egli Studio!
Where do you like to work?
We are installed at Hyperespace, a 320 square meter shared workshop we co-founded with friends back in 2016. Our idea is to gather various creative profiles such as designers, photographers, architects etc. to create an emulation that pushes everyone to collaborate and drive great projects. We also collected as many tools and machines as we can and have them free to use in our workshop. Currently, Hyperespace houses 18 very talented people and a bit less than 100 plants we take great care of.
What is your daily routine at work?
We arrive at Hyperespace in the morning, share great espresso with our friends from our trusty Olympia Express Club machine from 1970 and then start our day. Along the day, the open space gives birth to many discussions and jokes. We usually sketch, model and render our projects at our desk and move to the workshop when model or prototype making is needed.
Is there a piece that symbolises your professional debut?
Hypercollection is the office furniture system we imagined for Hyperespace, a very inexpensive yet durable system that would allow us to offer privacy and storage to the users without isolating people. We built 20 shelves back in 2016 that are still in use. Hypercollection took its time but it is manufactured since this year in Switzerland and distributed by KIM Stahlmöbel.
What are the challenges you face?
Finding the right attitude and ethos to keep expressing our ideas within the current climate and economical crisis.
Can you introduce Easy Aluminium ?
Easy aluminium is the result of a long reflexion around the Swiss furniture tradition.
Switzerland is a complex marketplace due to its high labor cost, making it difficult for companies to export their production unless it is mass produced.
We have been working from day one on the idea of building a project that would be made in Switzerland with a reasonable price point, allowing it to be distributed abroad.
While exchanging with various furniture companies in Switzerland, we collected feedbacks that enabled us to imagine the ideal concept that would gather all the needed assets for such a challenge.
The connexion part of the table and bench carries the complexity and manufacturing excellence values expected from Swiss made products, while the standard profiles composing the board and legs help to balance the overall costs.
This set results in a highly durable mono-material construction that will stand strong under any weather condition, proudly made in Switzerland by Embru.
What project are you currently working on?
We currently work on a coffee-related project with a very different approach than we are used to, an exciting adventure we started a bit more than a year ago!
What are your next goals?
The launch of our latest project with Swedish company Ann Idstein, Reverso Paravent, a delicate room dividing solution made of a sheet of T-Yvek incised with an intricate scale pattern. This sheet is then tensioned in an oak frame, raising the scales into shape.
The scales turn over when you pass your hand over them, allowing to draw on the paravent!
Published on 01 July 2022
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