Bo Concept Launches “Nawabari” Collection with Big – Bjarke Ingels Group

Furniture World News Desk on 10/27/2023

With a shared Danish design tradition and ambition to democratize great design, BoConcept has partnered with global architects BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group - to launch its exclusive “Nawabari” Collection. 

The collection design, led by Partner and Head of BIG Products Jakob Lange, was inspired by the Japanese art form of binding with ropes to forge close bonds. ‘Nawa’ means rope in Japanese, and the term “Nawabari” traditionally translates as stretching rope.

The inspiration

“When starting out with this collection we were looking for a new way of expressing furniture”, says Lange. “We were interested in the forms that are created when a material is bound with rope. The result is these sculptural organic shapes that become the core of this furniture family.”

Transforming shared spaces 

Combining BoConcept’s simplicity and elegance with BIG’s future-thinking aesthetic and sense of purpose, Nawabari is designed to bring people together and transform shared spaces.

BIG is always interrogating the intersection between work, life and play, meaning these contemporary pieces are equally as showstopping in a hotel lobby and gallery as they are in a residential home or social workspaces.

The collection

Nawabari comprises of two sofa sizes, an armchair, two coffee tables and two sized pouffes. The collection can be used individually as standout pieces or grouped together to create a standalone area. 

The collection can also be customised to meet the specific needs of each individual project. Upholstered with Gabriel’s wool-effect Blend fabric* in six pre-defined colours can beautifully enhance the sensorial design. Nawabari is also available across the BoConcept fabric offering.

Sustainability first

Sustainability considerations are built into Nawabari’s design. The sofas, armchair and pouffes are Greenguard certified when upholstered in the Blend fabric*. Greenguard certification ensures products have low-emitting chemicals and low impact on indoor air quality.

Blend fabric also carries the EU Ecolabel and is certified in accordance with STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, meaning every component of this textile has been tested for harmful substances.

A debut at BIG HQ

Proving the collection’s desirability, Ingels has specified Nawabari to feature across several floors of BIG’s flagship new HQ in Nordhavn, the Port of Copenhagen, opening in AW/23. The vast industrial space, symbolic of the city’s design power, was also the setting for the global campaign shoot. 

About the partnership 

Bjarke Ingels and his team of architects, urbanists and designers address the big questions of the 21st century, shaping the world around us with visionary solutions to reach a better way of living. Remaining true to the essence of Scandinavian design, BoConcept creates timeless designs characterized by their clean lines, functional elegance, and understated beauty. Denmark is a country famed for its design heritage but with this co-designed collection we are firmly looking to the future. 

“BoConcept is known for creating elegant designs that are timeless and look good in any interior space. This collaboration brings a new spirit of informality and fun, characteristic of BIG's disruptive approach. We are proud to partner with Bjarke and his team on this collection.” - Paula Mc Guinness, Chief Marketing Officer 

“BoConcept is an international player that has presence in markets all over the world and has built a team of extremely talented craftsman and salesmen. Together with our creative forces at BIG, this creates a unique sort of melting pot.” - Jakob Lange, Partner, BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group 

*Blend fabric not currently available in the UK market

The Nawabari collection will launch into selected BoConcept stores globally including Paris, Copenhagen, London, Tokyo, San Francisco, Dubai from 18 October.

About Big 
 BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group is a Copenhagen, New York, London, Barcelona and Shenzhen-based group of architects, designers, urbanists, landscape professionals, interior and product designers, researchers, and inventors. Led by Bjarke Ingels, the studio is currently involved in projects throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. BIG’s architecture emerges out of a careful analysis of how contemporary life constantly evolves and changes. 

About Boconcept 
BoConcept has been championing the spirit and principles of Danish design since 1952 and is the world’s most global furniture retailer, with over 340 stores spanning 67 countries on 6 continents. The brand works with award-winning designers to create collections of furniture, accessories and lighting for private homes and business spaces. Under the heading ‘Live Ekstraordinær’, BoConcept is committed to bringing its flexible Interior Design Service and industry -leading customization to spaces both private and public – without compromising on design vision or aesthetics.