When artist Mika Utzon Popov had a chance encounter with Ben Kerr, founder of Eco Outdoor, neither man could have foretold that the meeting would lead to a world-first design collaboration: the reimagining of a sofa, originally created by Utzon Popov’s grandfather, Sydney Opera House architect Jørn Utzon, for the family residence, Can Feliz, on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Utzon Popov and his mother Lin worked with Eco Outdoor to bring what is the first private Jørn Utzon furniture design to market ¬in a unique, three-generational collaboration. At first, Utzon Popov and Lin Utzon, a renowned creative in her own right, were unsure about a private piece of family furniture coming into the world at large. “Because of the heritage of my father, there was a hesitation on my part,” Lin recalls. Her son felt similarly but “the enthusiasm Ben has for creating ideas and projects is really infectious. And when he and Matt [Lorrain, Eco Outdoor’s head of furniture] came to us, there was such an understanding and integrity around treating this the right way and making sure everyone was on board.” Jørn’s sofa design, which was inspired by benches he created for Copenhagen’s Bagsværd Church, has been reimagined as the nexus of a stunning eight-piece outdoor collection, comprising a lounge chair, gallery bench, daybed, dining table, dining bench and high and low stools. Crafted from fine-sanded sustainable teak and teak laminations using a combination of high-tech and handmade processes, the pieces combine Jørn’s original vision, Lin’s subsequent modifications and Eco Outdoor’s meticulous refinements to create an outdoor furniture collection defined by its materiality and visual simplicity. “My approach was to treat the original piece as a library of design detail and, as it’s iterated over different types, to make sure those details were incorporated into the new designs,” says Matt Lorrain. “The original piece is in solid section teak but it’s becoming hard for us to source teak in that sort of section and size, so we’ve made solid planks in laminations to get the same feeling in the timber – and I think it has worked beautifully.” Bullnose detailing, trussed legs and offset plank placement served as the
design language for the original; larger section planks curve on leading edges and are square cut on internal intersections in the modern revision. The cushioned pieces feature Italian hopsack-weave outdoor fabric in a light sand shade, while exposed stainless-steel hardware and fittings on the dining table and benches reflect a minimalist design aesthetic. “I think we’ve been able to treat the original product with respect and to work with Mika and Lin in a way that honours the design and the family lineage,” says Lorrain. “Also making sure it had the same kind of expression and character as the original.” Both Utzon Popov and his mother are thrilled with the result. “My father would be very happy to see that his sofa became something else and [part of] a big collection,” says Lin. Her son agrees: “I’m very proud of what we’ve made. Its final form is so close to the intention of the original piece – it’s really beautiful.” 00:00 – An Introduction to Mika Utzon Popov 00:51 – Different Design Processes 01:40 – The Initial Collaboration and Ideas
02:52 – An Introduction to Lin Utzon
03:51 – The Original Bench Design
04:17 – An Expanded Collection
04:52 – The Material Palette
05:22 – Respecting History and Memories
06:15 – Proud Moments For more from The Local Project: Instagram – / thelocalproject Website – https://thelocalproject.com.au/ LinkedIn – / the-local-project-publication Print Publication – https://thelocalproject.com.au/public… Hardcover Book – https://thelocalproject.com.au/book/ The Local Project Marketplace – https://thelocalproject.com.au/market… For more from The Local Production: Instagram – / thelocalproduction_ Website – https://thelocalproduction.com.au/ LinkedIn – / thelocalproduction To subscribe to The Local Project’s tri-annual print publication see here – https://thelocalproject.com.au/subscr… Photography by Alana Landsberry. Styling by Lucy Gough. Filmed by O&Co Homes.
Edited by The Local Production. Production by The Local Production. Location: Australia The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands. #Design #Icon #Story
