AVK

Thonet at AVK: black varnished wood and walnut create striking contrasts in bright office spaces

The Danish AVK Group – market leader in valve and hydrant manufacture – makes products that ensure the safe distribution of drinking water and gas as well as for sewage treatment and fire protection. AVK’s office spaces in Belgium have been furnished with Thonet tables and chairs. Here, the pieces from Thonet lend an air of elegance to the spacious kitchen and dining area as well as the conference rooms.

The interiors, which have recently been redesigned by DIRA Interior Design, feature floor-to-ceiling windows. In addition to the light-coloured walls, reflective floor tiles also add to the brightness of the rooms. In this setting, dark Thonet furniture creates a striking contrast. The 118 M chair by Sebastian Herkner has been used in the dining area in a black version, and the matching 118 MH barstool version is used at the counter in the kitchen. This design by Sebastian Herkner is a contemporary take on Michael Thonet’s original idea from the 19th century of making a chair out of as few parts as possible. The shape of the chair’s legs is particularly noteworthy: they are rounded at the back with straight edges at the front, picking up the horseshoe shape of the seat. This gives the chairs a modern feel without overpowering the other elements in the room.

In addition to the communal spaces, six conference rooms have also been furnished with Thonet pieces. The 1500 conference table by Wolfgang C.R. Mezger is surrounded by Thonet cantilever chairs: the S 32 and the S 64 with black mesh in the seat and backrest. Natural wooden elements used throughout the interiors provide a particularly sophisticated touch. Both the seat frames of the cantilever chairs and the sides of the tabletops are made of walnut, creating an anchor point in terms of both colour and material. The black powder-coated legs of the tables and chairs are subtle, allowing the wooden elements to take centre stage. The S 32 cantilever chair and the S 64 version with armrests are among the most well-known tubular steel classics and both are particularly versatile. In the version with black mesh in the seat and backrest, the chairs not only deliver exceptional comfort. Their translucent material also stops the dark frames from overpowering the otherwise bright interior spaces. The Thonet 1500 modular tables selected for the conference rooms feature narrowly positioned legs under a white and – in this version – rectangular tabletop, leaving plenty of room for crafting innovative new ideas. Media modules and cable connections have been discreetly integrated into the tabletop; all cabling can be concealed in the table legs and within the modular casing beneath the tabletop. With its design of these offices, DIRA Interior Design has – in a manner very reminiscent of Thonet – successfully brought together function and aesthetics, subtly creating exceptionally designed rooms with striking accents.