What is your design process at Friis & Moltke? Being a designer at an architectural firm is a par - ticular kind of discipline. I feel that you should be able to see Friis & Moltke’s DNA in our product de - signs. If I had to put our DNA into words, I would say that Friis & Moltke has a sense of edge. It’s very solid and robust – durable. Our trainees are sometimes a bit reserved when they are faced with one of the old designs for the first time, as it’s so heavy and burgundy and dark green. How- ever, after a few months you can tell that they have become a fan. Friis & Moltke product design can be a bit of an ‘acquired taste’ – and that’s a good thing in my eyes, since it creates tension and is a conversation starter. I think that Friis & Moltke began working on design and making their own furniture and lights simply because they couldn’t find anything to match their style of architecture, which was hugely pioneering and later dubbed ‘brutalism’. Although I didn’t de- sign the classic lights, I have actually modified all of them. One of the interesting things about re- launches is that a relaunch involves just as much work as a new design. How much should the up- date be 1:1 compared to the original light? How big should the radius be? And what is essential to bear in mind now? The products have a timeless quality, but a lot has happened in the past 50 years, both for us as people and in terms of production methods. The lights should retain their edge from the 1970s, but it mustn’t be a tired 1970s. What inspires you? As a design studio, we seek out inspiration at trade fairs and through field trips. Getting out and about is beneficial. You should never under- estimate the value of a ‘change of scenery’. The most important inspiration for me probably comes from dialogue with my colleagues. I think it’s rare for one person alone to come up with a brilliant idea. I frequently bring in my colleagues from the construction department to look at the screen and to hear what they think, since, strict- ly speaking, they are customers for our product designs. They are representative of architects as it were, so if they like it, that’s a good sign. When you have a new assignment, you mull it over in the back of your mind. I may well wake up one morning with an idea in my head. Or it might be while cycling to work that a thought occurs to me. It can be a good thing not to sit and stare at your pencil trying to force a brilliant idea. 102
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