Azuki is a chair made from wood planks that also houses storage. Imagined for our solo show in Tokyo at Licht gallery, Azuki is a nod to ramen bars seatings which are often accompanied with a basket, offering a place to put the things we carry. The chair is made of red pine wood, produced by Licht gallery and crafted in Japan.

photography © Licht gallery

CPRV solo show at Licht gallery in Tokyo. An installation of some of our recent work, including the full collection of KGT Wall Units designed for UTIL, the studio’s workshop made paper sculptures and the Azuki chair specially designed for this exhibition. Licht gallery presents our projects through their medium — metal, paper, wood — exploring our sensibility to materials and hopefully manifesting the rational use of it as well as communicating the pure and intelligent exploration of the role of products in our daily lives.

The layout was inspired by American Minimalism as the gallery owner mentioned to us "Carl Andre is a favorite artist and his artistry is based on repetition of the same material. Donald Judd repeats the material itself in a fixed project size. When I first saw CPRV’s work, I thought of these two greats and I also had this layout in my head for a long time.” On the other hand, the title of the exhibition — ranger, s'éclairer, se reposer (to store, to light up, to rest) — proposes to read these exhibited objects not as art pieces or installation but as functional parts of our life.

ranger  s’éclairer  se reposer
おさめる  つける  やすむ
Licht gallery, Tokyo, Japan
20  07  2024
11   08  2024

photography © Licht gallery

Aso is an oil burner and incense holder inspired by traditional religious and meditational objects. As we spend more time at home nowadays, Aso can provide a diffuse moment of wellness through aroma therapy for a calming atmosphere. Aso is made from cast iron sourced from recycled car brakes, a material transformed from its molten state into its final shape by a local foundry. The visual language of the object makes a connection with nature and also its manufacturing method, a textured metal form with a subtle crater shaped aperture where smoke and heat come from. Presented during 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, Aso was imagined in the context of the modernist Korshagehus, a house designed by Erik Korshagen in 1960 and the genesis of the exhibition "A Calm Place" curated by Sebastien El Idrissi and Sara Decampos. This object with its simple shape and intentionally raw material finish will feel at ease in the informal interior of the Korshagehus as well as contemporary places.

photography © Matthew Minton, Sudio CPRV

We imagined the KGT Wall Unit as a flexible assembly of elements where KGT storage box becomes drawer; a single drawer shelf unit can change to a 6 drawers cabinet; vertical orientation can turn into horizontal. An unusual design thinking comes into place, where the small dictates the whole. Starting from one element, KGT which was originally designed as a single container, to create a system of blocs, wall mounted drawers and shelves units. Elements can be interchanged, added or moved to offer some level of flexibility and choice. An intended gap left between each drawer offers visual lightness and highlight each of the KGT installed, a reminder that the storage box can still be removed from the unit and used on its own.

photography © Max Verret, Manuel Amaral Netto

APLAT is a lamp primarily made of paper, its base and shade are folded pieces of lightweight sheets. The use of an honest material such as paper is a fairly simple solution for a lamp. We think that one of the best light atmosphere is often created by simply putting a piece of paper in front of a light source, it produces a beautiful and warm light that reminds us of candle illumination. Here, APLAT uses paper as a light diffuser as well as a product architecture and visual language. Folds and creases are carefully dosed to give the lamp its structure and shape, additional elements, such as foot and handle, are designed to underline secondary functions.

With the APLAT lamp, we are developing a proposal for an object produced at a reasonable scale, where beauty in imperfection is revealed by its artisanal type of manufacturing. A collaboration between the digital, the manual and the automated; made by hand using self-made tools combined with new digital techniques such as 3D printing and computer assisted die cutting, in a small batch and with materials found locally. We are using standard light source parts, which means that elements can be re-placed or re-used. The lamp can be folded flat and sent by post with an easy home assembly. We wanted to shape the object with only a few folds and manipulation of one sheet of paper, like a piece of clothing made from flat surfaces to form a volume once assembled or wore. The inspiration for APLAT is quite graphical and maybe a bit typographical, in a sense we are trying to create a visual alphabet of paper light that is thought in two dimensions and realise as a three dimensional object.

photography © Max Verret

We created a vision exercise for Samsung, reflecting on the idea of repurposing the brand’s old devices or materials and transform them into new products or services that will have a positive impact on people and the planet. The European Commission report that the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment, widely known as e-waste, generated every year is increasing rapidly. It is now one of the fastest growing waste streams. Currently, only about 30% of e-waste is sent to appropriate recycling facilities. Our research highlighted that by improving the collection, treatment, and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment at the end of their life, we can promote sustainable production and consumption while also increasing resource efficiency.

We designed Re-set as a series of tools for individuals and professionals, such as independent repair shops as well as recycling facilities. The aim of the project is to help repair electronic devices and improve the recycling process by disassembling e-waste into parts using hand held tools. The collected parts are then classified by material group and can be either replaced, reused or recycled into new products. The tools are made from discarded Samsung products and packaging, using simple transformation our thought is to re-create things using as little energy as possible; these include: gloves made from recycled plastic packaging, a sorting tray made from cut-out parts of Samsung Galaxy Book, a small plastic spatula made from an S-Pen, a mediator made from Samsung smartphone back covers, a pair of tweezers made from recycled aluminum, and screwdrivers made from circuit boards. The resulting aesthetic is quite unique to each Re-set tool.

photography © studio CPRV

A one meter long floating handle standing on its foot, made from elementary materials such as oak and steel, shaped in a very simple way, delivering an object without excess, vibrant and long-lasting. The light source is a linear LED bulb, designed to last and to be replaced over time. Each part of the lamp uses specific yet simple manufacturing processes, allowing parts to be made locally and by small businesses — however the apparent simplicity of the lamp requires quality craftsmanship as the UH70 lamp is an object where every action of the craftsman is visible and revealed.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Unité d’Habitation in Marseille, we were invited by Maison Mirbel to create an object inspired by the building’s architecture and spirit. Taking cues from the entrance door handles of the building’s apartments, UH70 is sculpted and shaped with a certain materiality that invites you to touch and turn the lamp, allowing the light to be directed on surfaces and objects. The project takes part of an ongoing series of collaboration between the client and designers that aim to produce a selection of curated original work.

photography © studio CPRV

Set of four spatulas cooking tools. Including paddle, tab, tabi and round, each SPTL has a special place in the kitchen, whether it is for pasta, salads or baking they have been designed with a single function in mind. Made of maple wood with rapeseed oil finish keeping their natural colour, they are hand finished and made in France.

photography © studio CPRV

Following up our close relationship with UTIL, we have developed together a special finish for he KGT container — a raw aluminium with an orbital sanded surface treatment that brings the product to an informal but honest quality. This process reveals even more the manufacturing and craft involve in such a simple item, allowing the raw material to express itself with no covering, only welcoming the user's patina through time.

photography © Max Verret

Today most window shopping is done online and more and more people are purchasing their furniture on a mobile device, without ever setting foot in a store. Courrier is a lamp envisioned to be ordered online, configured by the user, and designed to ship in a standard cardboard tube. It is a collapsible floor lamp that was inspired by a simple straight line, a beam of light which extends beyond the physical limits of the object. LED technology allows the lamp to be brought down to its essence. Unassembled, its minimal volume and lightness means the lamp can be easily shipped via traditional mail services, hence its name, Courrier. Intended to develop the online presence of the brand, the lamp is now available via the newly designed Ligne Roset online store.

“To design without waste of either material or detail.To consider the solution an object provides, to be aware of the beauty and what it brings. To make something versatile so the user is a participant. To give the lightness of a feather, to a beam of light!” — Kiosk NY

photography © Max Verret

Located in the heart of Marseille, between the Vieux-Port and Le Panier, Ensemble is a dynamic space, housing Loose Joints studio, a public bookshop and a gallery. The space presents a carefully selected range of titles by independent art and photography publishers from across the world, alongside Loose Joints’ own books and editions. We imagined the interior and circulation of the 80 m2 space, sourced elements and designed bespokely made pieces of wooden furniture. Made of plywood the custom made modules have been designed to offer some flexiblity to the bookshop. For exemple cubes of different heights present books to visitors and give rythm to the space, they sit on wheels which allow for a variety of settings and can eventually be set aside to help transform the bookshop into a large gallery space for launch and opennings.

photography © Max Verret, Loose Joints, studio CPRV

New addition to the UTIL product range, KGT is a simple container made from aluminium. It is a portable serving tray, a stackable storage box and a wall mounted shelf. The project takes its roots from one question: What would be a good storage system? We thought of the simplicity of a crate, the traditional industrial typology for transporting fruits and vegetables. A crate, but that is a bit more home friendly, that would fit nicely in a domestic interior. So what are the essential characteristics of a crate? — a simple container, a box that stacks and that is easily carried.

The resulting KGT is a light and solid box that is made of aluminium, reusable, durable and also widely recyclable. Working with Util, we developed KGT so it is manufactured using straightforward steps of stamping, cutting and bending of a single sheet of material. Each process reveals a specific feature of the product; its solidity, its stackability and its portability. KGT comes in a variety of colours to adapt to interiors. The box dimensions make it useful on a table, in multiple on a shelf and in a large number it even becomes an element of furniture.

photography © studio CPRV

Our first solo show, hosted at Kolektiv Cité Radieuse gallery during spring 2021. Prototypology 350 is an insight into CPRV industrial design practice. A space where we showed the genesis of projects, to us, a product is complete only when it reaches the end-user. In this exhibition we focused on the delicate stage where an object is neither realised, finished or produced, a stage where the project usually remains unseen. The number 350 is a reference to the Unité d’Habitation apartment number where we first set up CPRV studio in Marseille and for which we produced most of the projects on show. Also to note, the Cité Radieuse is an actual prototype, in some ways the ideal place to show some of ours.

The first part of the show was dedicated to a series of prototypes that we designed at and for the Unité d’Habitation. Alongside prototypes, we aimed to give an in-depth and didactical understanding of our design process to visitors, through a series of models, drawings, process photographs and in-context visuals. The second part of the exhibition took a look at the office’s daily work into a very open inventory way. This section presented some finished products, a lot of models, drawings, research and background informations along with a collection of found objects that inspires us.

photography © studio CPRV

Virage is a modular display that uses LG’s flexible OLED panel technology. Virage can be formed in many ways; as a room divider to separate interior spaces, between a dining table and a sofa for example; it is also a surface of soft and diffused light for a peaceful reading moment; when evening comes Virage becomes a large cinema screen, a viewing display that curves around for everybody to enjoy. Its furniture language and typology allow for a great integration in an open plan house. Virage can take many forms, it can eventually be rolled for storage. Made from an assembly of an aluminium extrusion structure, a flexible 88” OLED panel and rubber edges, it is intended as a high-end LG Signature product.

The project has been shortlisted in Dezeen and LG's OLEDs Go! competition.

photography © studio CPRV

The Unité bed frame is a simple wooden construction that takes reference from architecture, thought like a building raised on pilotis, it is a self-supporting structure formed by columns and beams. Two large timber support equally spaced slats and can accommodate feet that lift up the bed from the floor. The integrated slats provide a soft sprung effect and replace the traditional bed slat kit. They create an airy platform allowing the mattress to be ventilated. The slats assembly to the beams in a half-lap joint manner also allows for a durable structure. Unité comes in two options, helping to create different atmospheres; it can be placed directly on the floor and thanks to the thickness of the beams it still allows the mattress to breath; it can be configured with four chunky wooden feet for a more traditional typology. Accessories can be added to the frame such as a small folded steel shelf. A shelf that can hold a reading book, a glass of water and other small items.

photography © studio CPRV

Physical DJ controllers remain an important element that connects to the digital exercise of music mixing. WDPK 83.7 is a simple USB-C DJ controller that has been stripped of all clutter, for beginners it is unthreatening and distant from any professional looks. The functionalities are kept as simple as possible, only the essentials are present to perform, and will feel just right for musicians of all kinds. Thought like a piece of graphic design the controls have been carefully laid out and meticulously organised for ease of use. Its "pocket" size makes it easier to transport from home to a party, allowing for easy handling, it fits in a backpack, with a laptop, or in a tote bag and takes the minimum space on a table top. WDPK 83.7 has been carefully considered to use a minimum amount of plastic as possible. The exterior chassis is made out of steel sheets; the keys and discs out of natural rubber; the sliders are simply rubber dipped and the rotary potentiometers are in aluminium.

photography © studio CPRV