Two chairs, one balance

When Ana Relvão and Gerhardt Kellermann design, you know it's going to be exciting. They think ‘out of the box’, are always one step ahead of the trends and develop ideas with depth. As creative directors, they have brought the high level of expertise of gumpo from Dingolfing in Bavaria to an international stage and developed numerous solutions for a hybrid working environment with the ‘Normcore’ collection back in 2018 – even before the topics of working from home and new working environments were widely discussed. Their design is pure and functional, as if with a wink. They combine opposites into a harmonious whole, creating precise products with a geometric design language. ‘yay’ and 'ohh' are therefore also an answer to the question of a design that is flexible. ‘Both chairs are designed so that they can stand at the same table and complement the gumpo furniture perfectly,’ say Relvãokellermann.

Yet the development was a challenge: the seating elements had to be able to be used in a variety of situations, match gumpo's existing furniture and be in line with the company's social, economic and ecological responsibility. At the same time, the needs of the people sitting on ‘yay’ and ‘ohh’ had to be considered. ‘The solution went in two directions: a statement chair with a small footprint and a seating system that can go from something small and compact to something more spacious and complex, easily adaptable to different configurations and environments,’ say the designers. ‘yay’ is shaped like the letter “Y”, is fully upholstered and has a round seat. The structure of ‘ohh’, on the other hand, consists of an upholstered seat shell with a wedge-shaped, flexible backrest, the base of which can be freely selected. It can be made of coated wooden panels with side cheeks as a reference to classic carcass furniture, as a bench, as a seat-table with charging function, or as a swivel chair on castors.

‘The core concept of gumpo is both: adaptability and versatility,’ says Relvãokellermann. The focus on the essentials also includes environmentally conscious behaviour: The upholstery fabrics are made from recycled plastic waste and all of gumpo's furniture is manufactured in Germany. You can take part in the dialogue between ‘yay’ and ‘ohh’ for the first time at Orgatec from 22 to 25 October 2024 in Cologne.

gumpo @ Orgatec
Hall 10.2 | L020

Opening Hours
Tuesday – Friday: 9 am to 6 pm