GMUND Urban – Working Tool
Same procedure as last year – well almost! Because for the second consecutive year, GMUND Büttenpapierfabrik, maker of fine paper, granted us their trust and sent us on a journey to urbanity with a new paper product.
The new GMUND Urban paper collection is an homage to all big cities around the world: warm, dusty colours nestle up against surfaces of cement, wood and graph paper. The GMUND Büttenpapierfabrik thereby successfully transforms contemporary materials into paper.
Equipped with state-of-the-art materiality, we were allowed to create our idea of urbanity in the form of a work tool. The basic concept of the design is the element of the line, which links all design disciplines in the modern living space – regardless of whether we speak of architecture, interior design or product design. The line connects things or excludes them, the spaces in between are filled with building materials. The elected typography establishes the second level for us and the line is only then able to display its true character in the presence of the information level. We opted for a Neuzeit Grotesk font for titles, headlines and notes. The lower case “r” was modified for titles and headlines. The colour scheme is monochrome and is accented with hot foil in copper. A slipcase, which also serves as the cover of a drawer, holds a sample book and image brochure. The folding boxes that reside in the drawer are filled with the original material inspirations, wood and cement. Samples from the entire paper collection can be found in a Hakoya Box, produced for GMUND in Japan. All elements of the set feature a variety of printing and finishing processes. We transferred the design system back to the cityscape. Two trade fair stands were constructed for Packaging Innovations London and for Luxe Pack in Monaco.
We consider this work tool an invitation to the recipient to design his own personal urbanity; to continue the line, pursue perspectives and connections – or choose to have it end abruptly.
Creative & Art Direction: Max Kuehne
Art Direction & Final Artwork: Daniela Gilsdorf
Fotos: Max Kuehne & Michael Pfeiffer
