The British architecture and design firm of Thomas Heatherwick has teamed up with the Italian brand Magis for the "In-Side" furniture collection, made from plastic waste and recycled materials.

« In a world grappling with the consequences of plastic pollution, the idea behind this new collection is to use waste and reveal its inner beauty in unexpected ways. “That’s what Thomas Heatherwick declared at the launch of the “In-Side” collection last April. Since 1994, the founder of Heatherwick Studio, based in London, Shanghai, and California, has been striving with his team of architects, designers, engineers, and landscape architects to make the world a better and more engaging place through his designs for buildings, spaces, objects, and infrastructure. In 2024, he reunited with the Italian furniture company Magis for an eco-responsible collection that retains its whimsical spirit.”

RECYCLED POLYETHYLENE MIX

Seventeen years later, the two companies are renewing their partnership with a line of furniture including a sofa, table, chair, and cushions. In 2007, Thomas Heatherwick designed the Spun spinning chair, which has since become a design icon, revolutionizing seating in a playful, comfortable, and functional way. Today, he presents a completely different concept with Magis, in tune with current trends. The Italian family brand, whose motto has been to push the boundaries of design since 1976, has developed a new material in recent years. "It's a blend of partially post-consumer recycled (PCR) and post-industrial (PIR) polyethylene in multicolored flakes, offering a sustainable, long-term application for plastic waste," explains the British designer. The former refers to materials recycled from products that have already been used. The latter refers to those separated from the waste stream during the manufacturing process.

NEW FORM OF TECHNOLOGY

The "In-Side" range thus takes on the appearance of a manifesto of innovation, experimentation, and creativity. Recycling doesn't have to be less beautiful; it can allow for the emergence of joyful and energetic forms. “,” continues Thomas Heatherwick. It was by rotating the material that his design team discovered the many possibilities of this blend. While the exterior appeared conventional, once opened, it revealed an interior similar to “the internal complexities of a geode.” For the British designer, always fascinated by the composite associations of the real world, this process challenges perceptions of plastic reuse and reinvents its potential as a sustainable resource.

The collection made its debut at the Salone del Mobile in Milan last April and will be available for purchase during 2024. Through it, Heatherwick Studio and Magis are trying to encourage consumers to make more conscious choices.

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