Barber Osgerby, Projects: Enjoy a closer look at two of the world's greatest designers

Internationally acclaimed designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have dedicated their careers to exploring and challenging the archetypes of contemporary design practice. To coincide with London Design Festival this month, Phaidon is releasing their highly anticipated monograph, Barber Osgerby, Projects – an extraordinary visual record of the duo’s expansive portfolio.

From their very first foray into furniture production with the Loop Table (1996) to the London Olympic Torch (2012) and the Bellhop Lamp commission of 2017, this timely and compelling survey sheds light on the fascinating inner workings of two of the world’s greatest designers.

Collaborators for over twenty years, Barber and Osgerby have applied their renowned research-led approach to everything from industrial design, furniture and lighting to site-specific installations, limited editions and public commissions. After graduating together from the Royal College of Art, they founded their eponymous studio in 1996 and have since established partnerships with some of the world’s leading manufacturers and institutions, including B&B Italia, BMW, Flos, Hermès, Knoll, Sony and Vitra, among many others.

Puzzle prototypes, Mutina headquarters, Fiorano, Italy, 2015. Picture credit: Matteo Pastorio

Puzzle prototypes, Mutina headquarters, Fiorano, Italy, 2015. Picture credit: Matteo Pastorio

Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Vitra workshops, Basel, Switzerland, 2010. Picture credit: courtesy and copyright © Barber and Osgerby studio

Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Vitra workshops, Basel, Switzerland, 2010. Picture credit: courtesy and copyright © Barber and Osgerby studio

Shell Table and Piton Stool, Curtain Road studio, London, 2016. Picture credit: David Brook

Shell Table and Piton Stool, Curtain Road studio, London, 2016. Picture credit: David Brook

Drawing from the entire spectrum of their practice, Barber Osgerby, Projects captures a 360-degree view of the duo’s approach, their appreciation for and understanding of manufacturing processes as well as their distinctive use of shape and movement.

Clothbound and screen-printed with an illustration of Barber and Osgerby’s celebrated Vitra Tip Ton chair, the book itself is a striking, tactile object that will appeal to anyone with a keen eye for contemporary design.

Hakone Table, Galerie kreo, 2016. Picture credit: Sylvie Chan-Lia

Hakone Table, Galerie kreo, 2016. Picture credit: Sylvie Chan-Lia

Hotaru Marker, Curtain Road studio, London, 2016. Picture credit: Anselmo Custer

Hotaru Marker, Curtain Road studio, London, 2016. Picture credit: Anselmo Custer

Olio serving platters, cutlery and teapot, Royal Doulton, 2015. Picture credit: David Brook

Olio serving platters, cutlery and teapot, Royal Doulton, 2015. Picture credit: David Brook

Barber Osgerby, Projects offers unprecedented insight into the acclaimed designers’ dynamic world of creativity and enterprise. With its distinctive blend of stunning imagery and stimulating texts, this rich and vibrant monograph is a must-have for design aficionados and admirers of Barber and Osgerby’s spectacular portfolio. Available via Phaidon.

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