Besetzer

Besetzer was born of the project "Berlin, the Character of a City as a Design Principle". Formally the sofa is analogous to the idea of a city as a conglomerate of buildings. The upholstered blocks can be arranged in a wide variety of ways and are reminiscent of the pre-fab Plattenbauten blocks of East Berlin or their Western equivalents in districts such as the Hansaviertel. Each block is a different size and made of a different material using different techniques. This heterogeneity reflects the many faces of the city, the differences between and the individuality of each of the various districts. A slotted metal frame allows the blocks to be moved around over rails on the ground. These rails are what link the various elements of the piece into a whole, but the blocks are not dependent on them and can easily be moved beyond the confines of the grid/valerie otte