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Neri&Hu Evolves Joseph Hoffman’s Iconic Chair With Blocks

03.30.23 | By
Neri&Hu Evolves Joseph Hoffman’s Iconic Chair With Blocks

Wittmann Möbelwerkstätten, a family-owned furniture manufacturer in Austria with a historical archive of Josef Hoffman designs, recently tapped Shanghai-based designers and architects Lyndon Neri and Rosanna Hu of Neri&Hu with a unique proposal: to reinterpret a piece of furniture by the Austrian architect. Hoffman is credited as one of the founders of the Vienna Secession, a design movement that deviated from the traditional, Art Nouveau style at the time and spurred a new one that was heavily geometric and linear. Neri&Hu’s signature style, however, is led by a sense of lightness and delicacy. They asked themselves, “How can we continue the lineage of this particular brand without negatively impacting the tradition and history behind it, while evolving it into something new?” In stepping out of their comfort zone to take on Wittmann’s challenge, the pair evolves Hoffman’s Club 1910 armchair to create Blocks, a series of modular sofa elements that echo the same iconic shape.

blue sofa and beige lounge seat

brown lounge seating

Club 1910 Chair by Josef Hoffmann

brown lounge seating

Club 1910 Chair by Josef Hoffmann

The modularity of Blocks makes it adaptable and flexible for today’s residential and commercial environments. The low-slung modules can stand on their own or be configured to perfectly fit different sized spaces. Wittmann’s mastery of upholstery craftsmanship shines through with this design because Neri&Hu chose to remove the extra details of the Club 1910, focusing on the profile of the seating as a whole.

blue modular sofa pieces

modular blue sofa

modular blue sofa

modular blue sofa

modular blue sofa

modular blue sofa

Lyndon Neri and Rosanna Hu

Lyndon Neri and Rosanna Hu of Neri&Hu

To learn more about the Blocks Sofa, visit wittmann.at.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She's probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.