Inspired by European steel-framed windows, the Fenster Collection by GibsonKarlo (Sarah Gibson and Nicholas Karlovasitis) is a playful, transparent dialogue between lightness and structural detail. The range includes dining chairs, bar chairs, low stools and bar stools. Fenster can be enjoyed inside or outside.

The collection is made with powder coated stainless steel frames with impact-resistant clear acrylic seat and backrest. As acrylic is a thermoplastic, the piece’s seat does not heat up when left in the sun. Along with its powder- coated stainless steel frame, the design is UV stable and completely waterproof.

The design brief for Fenster was to create a versatile, elegant and durable seating collection with an aesthetic and sophistication that challenges the status quo of on-trend contemporary furniture and blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor furniture. Drawing from the beauty of steel-framed windows, the idea was to capture this in a piece of furniture and to push for the creation of a unique piece that balances the clear elements with the structural details.

This was achieved by refining the proportions and focusing on the junctions between the clear and solid elements. The use of a thick acrylic with bold round edges that refract the light to create highlights was critical to giving the piece a strong presence by utilising one of the material’s unique characteristics.

The intent behind the brief for this range was to show that there is still plenty of creative freedom still left for brands and designers to do something different and uncompromised – that there are risks in design to be taken in order to surprise and delight people. There was a desire to take a material that has many preconceptions, that polarises people, and use it in a way that is welcoming, sophisticated and satisfies all the practical requirements of commercial furniture.

Photography: Pete Daly