Steelcase Wood Displays Wood-Paneled 1999 Volkswagon at Neocon:

Furniture World Magazine

A wood-paneled 1999 Volkswagon highlights the wide range of office furniture capabilities to be introduced June 7th at NeoCon design show in Chicago by Steelcase, the world's largest designer and manufacturer of office furnishings. The innovative auto design is housed in a new showroom created by Lauren Rottet that includes products from Steelcase Wood's Casegoods, Seating, Systems and Stow Davis collections. World renowned designers such as Rottet, Richard Meier and Debra Lehman-Smith contributed their talents to the Steelcase introductions. Rottet, who architected the 6,700-square-foot space with DMJM Rottet designers Douglas Giesey and Amy Sims, is responsible for the new show-stopping Volkswagon - a wood-paneled 1999 Beetle with metallic silver exterior and black leather interior. The VW Beetle consists of wood veneer on the sides of the exterior and beveled wood around the speedometer, door-pulls, gear shift knob and shift casing. "The Volkswagon in particular, and the showroom overall, really demonstrate the versatility of our design capabilities," said Adolph Bessler, Vice President and General Manager of Wood Furniture at Steelcase. "This is a tremendous opportunity for Steelcase Wood to reveal some new and innovative products, and show that we are committed to moving ahead. We've made major strides to improve the quality, appearance and desirability of our wood products. With Steelcase Wood, designers and users will see a balance between the most innovative and the most value-driven offerings. It's all about listening to the client's needs." Steelcase Wood will also introduce its Tableau Collection, a new concept in casegoods specification, in addition to a host of natural stone "wrappers" and exotic veneers. The Stow Davis Collection, which features an array of Richard Meier designs such as executive desks, credenzas and chairs, reinforces Steelcase's wide-range of wood capabilities. Inspired by the natural materials of the latest Steelcase Wood Furniture products, the designers have utilized a series of environmental references to express Steelcase Wood's dedication to high quality products. Floating "clouds" of gypsum ceiling and translucent walls made of Dampalon create unique planes and light schemes with a custom-designed lighting system suspended in the central space. Color is expressed through natural wood veneer panels with brilliant blue accents against elegant white walls and polished concrete floors. The natural theme is further expressed in a custom-designed wood conference table with raw timber as its base. Anchoring the showroom is a three-screen video projection system displaying casegoods configurations, emphasizing Steelcase Wood Furniture's commitment to fulfilling client needs. "Our goal was to dispel the notion that wood furniture is too traditional or formal," said Rottet. "The showroom is designed to demonstrate that Steelcase Wood products are not only beautiful, but innovative and effective, and highly appropriate for today's technology-driven work environments." Lauren Rottet, FAIA, IIDA, is design principal of the Los Angeles-based interiors firm DMJM Rottet, with an internationally-recognized portfolio of award-winning interiors, furniture, and carpet designs. Her interests in Steelcase Wood Furniture extend beyond showroom expertise to the elegant new Tableau collection for Stow Davis, designed by Rottet and partner Richard Riveire and Kai Broms. The designers and the collection will be honored with a champagne toast on June 8.