Marcel Wanders
Sponge Vase
Manufacturer: moooi
Marcel Wanders designed this piece as part of an experimental project initiated by Rosenthal for the Dutch foundation, Droog Design. The sponge pieces are created by dipping a sponge form into fluid porcelain clay. After drying, the piece is fired in an oven where the sponge burns away leaving only the porcelain in its place. In this way porcelain products can be made without a mould.
Marcel Wanders
Marcel Wanders grew up in Boxtel, the Netherlands, and graduated cum laude from the School of the Arts Arnhem in 1988. Marcel Wanders’ fame started with his iconic Knotted Chair, which he produced for Droog Design in 1996. He is now ubiquitous, designing for the biggest European contemporary design manufacturers like B&B Italia, Bisazza, Poliform, Moroso, Flos, Boffi, Cappellini, Droog Design and Moooi of which he is also art director and co-owner. Founded in 2000, Moooi has grown into an internationally renowned design label. Additionally, Marcel Wanders works on architectural and interior design projects and recently turned his hand to consumer home appliances.
Marcel was the editor of the International Design Yearbook 2005. In the same year, together with chef Peter Lute, he established the extraordinary LUTE SUITES hospitality-concept, the first “all over city suites” hotel in the world. He also designed the interior of Blits, a new restaurant in Rotterdam and the interior of restaurant ‘Thor’ at the Hotel on Rivington in New York including bar, lounge and private club. Marcel is the first and among the most important designers of Droog design. He was a juror for various prizes like the Rotterdam Design Prize (for which his own products were nominated several times) and the Kho Liang Ie prize. He lectured at SFMoMA, Limn, the Design Academy, Nike, IDFA, FutureDesignDays and has taught at various design academies in the Netherlands and abroad.
Various designs of Marcel Wanders have been selected for the most important design collections and exhibitions in the world, like the Museum of Modern Art in New York and San Francisco, the V&A Museum in London, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, the Central Museum in Utrecht, Museum of Decorative Arts Copenhagen and various Droog Design exhibitions. Coverage on Marcel has been published in all leading design magazines and newspapers such as Domus, Interni, Blueprint, Design Report, Frame, I.D. magazine, Abitare, Wallpaper, Nylon, Elle decoration, Icon, Esquire, the International Herald Tribune, Washington Post, the Financial Times, the New York Times and Business Week.
Other objects by Marcel Wanders