Konstantin Grcic

Born in Germany in 1965, Konstantin Grcic is an internationally renowned German designer. After training as a cabinetmaker at the John Makepeace School for Craftsmen in Wood in London, he specialised in design at the Royal College of Art in London from 1988 to 1990. It was there that he met his tutor, the renowned designer Jasper Morrison, who took him under his wing and hired him to work in his studio. The following year, he founded his own studio in Munich, specialising in industrial design, architecture and exhibition design.

The designer’s work is characterised by meticulous research into the history of art, design and architecture. His designs reflect his passion for technology and materials. They reveal a penchant for functional designs and geometric shapes, as well as distinctive angles.

The ‘One’ chair collection from the Italian brand Magis is Konstantin Grcic’s flagship design. This chair, conceived as a football and made from cast aluminium, is reduced to a linear, minimalist structure.

With a more classic aesthetic but made from an eco-friendly material, the Magis Bell chair features bold and elegant curves.

‘A chair is a fascinating thing because it comes into such direct contact with you, more so than any other piece of furniture. You might sit down at a table, or open a chest of drawers with your hands, but it is with the chair that you have prolonged, direct and physical contact. Think of all the different ways you can sit on a chair – there’s no fixed position, just a multitude of different postures. A good chair becomes part of you; it suits you perfectly.”