Lights on Smart Working
when
July 2009
where
Milan
A new installation curated by Ron Gilad and featuring Touch Down Unit for the windows dressing of the UniFor Showroom in Milan, in Corso Matteotti 14.
The historic flagship store, designed in 1989 by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, continues to be a point of reference and thanks to this installation it is once again the most efficient space to display the latest innovations.
Three Touch Down Units - the innovative autonomous workstation designed in collaboration with Studio Klass and presented during the Milan Design Week at Palazzo di Brera on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Company - are positioned on the platform in correspondence with the window.
Around them are recognizable archetypes of furniture: a chair, a stool, a wardrobe, a sofa, reduced to pure geometric lines, which reveal in the dark, thanks to a special blue and orange fluorescent paint, unexpected plays of light.
An abstract configuration of a contemporary work environment that establishes, in the distinctive sign of the Israeli designer, a connection between the idea and design of industry and confirms the tradition of the UniFor windows, which over the time have become a means of communicating a precise company identity, a confirmation of the circular prophecy made by Gio Ponti on the eve of the birth of industrial design: if in those days the world of art was in love with industry, now it is industry that has declared its love for art.
TOUCH DOWN UNIT - Studio Klass
TDU is a self-contained mobile workstation designed to meet the needs of dynamic, activity-based workers who are always on the go, both inside and outside the office, and thus do not require dedicated office space.
Professionals like these are often in transit, adapting themself to continuous changes in layout and spatial configuration. Such nomadic workers need transversal products that are easy to use and increasingly capable of interpreting mental and physical well-being as a perfect balance of work modalities—working seated, standing, or while in motion—to be alternated as desired.
CONFIGURATION AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Conceived and built to satisfy all these functional requirements, Touch Down Unit presents itself as a simple, compact form consisting of a rectangular worktop over a small closed volume that opens during use to reveal containers with various accessory elements.
The mobile unit has a metal structure consisting of a base with a wired central upright fixed to it. The upright also supports the structure of the worktop, which features vertical and horizontal positioning devices that allow the user to adjust the height and position of the worktop so that it is comfortable and ergonomic for every type of activity. The upright also contains a battery, along with power and USB outlets, for recharging electronic devices. The TDU is returned to a specially-designed charging station each night in order to recharge its battery. To facilitate moving the workstation about the office, the base is on retractable 360° swivel castors, while the central upright has a practical pull-out handle.
Touch Down Unit is an ecological project manufactured according to the principles of sustainability, made possible by the wealth of experience and know-how that UniFor has accumulated over the years.
FEATURES:
− Adjustable-height worktop
− Container with horizontal glide opening − Container with rotational opening
− Auxiliary shelves
− Compartment for personal items
− Cabinet with lock closure
− 360° swivel castors
− USB outlets
− Plug for recharging the TDU
