Norbert Wangen

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Norbert Wangen (* 1962 in Prüm ) is a German furniture and industrial designer. He lives and works in Lugano and Vienna .

Life

After graduating from high school in 1981, Norbert Wangen completed an apprenticeship as a carpenter and began studying sculpture at the Art Academy in Düsseldorf. Above all, Attila Kotányi's seminars shaped his theoretical background. Kotanyi was a member of the Situatist International - an artist group that existed from 1957 to 1972, which served as a model for the 1968 movement in France with its demand for far-reaching social upheavals. From 1983 to 1991 Norbert Wangen studied architecture at the Technical University in Munich and completed his diploma with the design of a thermal bath in Aachen under the supervision of the Austrian architect and professor Friedrich Kurrent .

Works

At the beginning of the 1990s, Wangen designed various sets, including for the production “Mercedes” at the Stadttheater Landshut in 1991 and “The Zoo Story” at the Munich Riding School in 1992. At the same time, he increasingly devoted himself to the design of furniture and furnishings. His “Attila” folding chair, which was presented at the 1993 Milan Furniture Fair, was included in the “New Collection” of the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich and the collection of the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein. From 1995 to 2002, Wangen presented his designs annually at the Imm Cologne furniture fair. In 1997 he took part in the ICFF trade fair in New York. The magazine "Architektur & Wohnen" selected him in 1998 among the 100 best interior architects and designers in Germany. In the same year, he designed a wall relief for the newly built Daimler-Benz headquarters at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, which is stretched out of stainless steel mesh using a special process.

Focus on kitchen

Norbert Wangen developed his first kitchen in 1995 for an apartment extension in Munich. Equipped with a worktop that can be moved due to lack of space, it became the forerunner of the later kitchen model "K2", which Wangen continued to develop until 2000 and was marketed under the "Norbert Wangen" brand. In 2003 the “Norbert Wangen” brand was taken over by the Italian kitchen manufacturer Boffi. In 2003 the “K10” and “K11” kitchen models followed, continuing the theme of the monolithic block. Instead of a worktop that can be slid open as a whole, individual covers can be opened over the fireplace and sink. With the help of an integrated air extraction system, conventional extractor hoods are avoided. This facilitates a free-standing placement of the kitchen island. In 2008, in cooperation with the fashion brand Missoni and the plastics manufacturer DuPont, a version of the kitchen “K2”, printed with patterns on the marble-like composite material Corian, was presented. Since 2006, Norbert Wangen has been developing various products for Boffi for the bathroom area, including the “W1” fitting and the “L10” marble washbasin. In 2009 the “K2” kitchen was supplemented by the extended version “K1” and the yacht manufacturer San Lorenzo brought a seawater-compatible version of the “K2” on board the “San Lorenzo 100” for the first time.

Work (selection)

  • 1991 - Stage design for “Mercedes” by Thomas Brasch at the Stadttheater Landshut; Director: Daniele Legler
  • 1992 - Set design for "THE ZOO STORY" by Edward Albee ; free theater production at the Munich Riding School; Director: Daniele Legler
  • 1991 - shelving system "R1"
  • 1993 - "Attila" folding armchair
  • 1994 - couch "L1"
  • 1995 - Kitchen for private apartment in Munich, predecessor of the later "K2"
  • 1996 - Z-chair
  • 1997 - Z series (folding armchairs and sofas that can be converted into a table or bed)
  • 1999 - stainless steel chest of drawers
  • 2000 - first series production of the “K2” kitchen under the name Norbert Wangen
  • 2002 - “S1” cabinet system for Norbert Wangen
  • 2003 - “K11” kitchen and the “K10” modular version for Boffi
  • 2004 - “K12” kitchen for Boffi
  • 2006 - Bathroom fittings "W1" for Boffi
  • 2007 - “K14” kitchen and “L10” marble sink for Boffi
  • 2007 - Shelf "R22" (prototype)
  • 2008 - "B14" bathroom cabinets for Boffi
  • 2009 - Kitchen "K1" (extended version of the "K2" for Boffi)
  • 2009 - Installation of the kitchen "K2" of the luxury yacht "San Lorenzo 100"

Publications / Awards (selection)

  • DOMUS No. 774, September 1995 edition
  • SPACE ( Korea ), 06/1998
  • Wallpaper, March / April 1998
  • International Design Yearbook 1998/99 Richard Sapper
  • Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, April 1999
  • International Design Yearbook 2001/2002 Michele De Lucchi
  • Interni Cover No. 542, June 2004
  • DDN No. 119 Cover, 12/2004
  • Wallpaper Design Awards (Category: Best Domestic Design) for the “k2” kitchen, 2004
  • MD K10 / S1, 05/2005
  • International Design Yearbook 2007 Patricia Urquiola
  • Zeit Magazin - Leben, March 27, 2008

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Cheeks, Norbert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German interior architect and designer
DATE OF BIRTH 1962
PLACE OF BIRTH Prüm