References

Paperclip contour by Ad Werner, 1973. Private collection (Tor Weibull). ©Tor Weibull

Beat

Office Hours

The concept of office space has evolved significantly over time, shaped by changes in technology, work culture, societal values, and economic demands. Traditionally, office space referred to a physical location within a building where administrative, managerial, or professional work was conducted. These spaces were often organized into private offices or cubicles, arranged in hierarchical layouts that reflected organizational structures. The primary function of the office was to centralize employees, resources, and tools necessary for performing work-related tasks efficiently. However, as the global economy has shifted and technology has redefined the boundaries of communication and productivity, the very meaning of office space has been reimagined. In its most modern interpretation, office space encompasses not just the physical environment but also the psychological, social, and digital dimensions of work. It includes traditional office buildings, co-working spaces, home offices, virtual offices, and hybrid setups. Flexibility is now a defining characteristic of office space, allowing businesses and employees to adapt their working environment to meet diverse needs…

I Wanna Rock

In the dim corner of a quiet room, a rocking chair lives and breathes in slow, wooden sighs. Its arms are worn smooth by generations of hands—some young, sticky with jam and summer, others old, trembling with stories. The chair creaks not with age, but with memory. Each back-and-forth motion is a lullaby to time itself, a whisper to the dust motes dancing in the sunbeam that lands just so through the half-drawn curtain. This chair has rocked colicky infants into dreams, listened to the silence between lovers, and held the weight of grief as tears traced paths down quiet cheeks. It has been a throne for daydreamers, a pulpit for grandfathers spinning yarns, and a vessel for mothers tracing prayers with their fingertips. In its still moments, the chair waits—not idle, but expectant. It knows that life always circles back. That someone will return with a book, a cup of tea, or a heavy heart. And when they do, the chair will begin its slow, gentle rhythm again—rocking not just the body, but the soul. It is not just furniture. It is a keeper of presence, a sanctuary carved in oak. A gentle reminder that even stillness can move.

In the winter of 1980, under the flickering fluorescence of an ordinary Milan apartment, something wildly unordinary was born. A group of rebellious designers and architects, led by the ever-curious Ettore Sottsass, conspired over wine and Wagner records to defy the minimalist gods of modernism. They called themselves the Memphis Group—named not after the American city, but after Bob Dylan's lyric, “Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again.” It sounded strange. It felt right. From that moment on, design would never be the same. The Memphis Group didn’t just color outside the lines—they set the lines on fire. Their furniture laughed in the face of function. Cabinets became…