Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have been working together for about ten years now. Their collaboration is a permanent dialogue, nourished by their distinct personalities and a shared notion of diligence, with the intention to achieve greater balance and refinement.
Steelwood is the meeting point between two traditional materials, steel plate and solid beech wood, combined in an assemblage of remarkable technical and formal excellence. The steel plate backrest alone is a veritable technical gem: its curved form is achieved through a process involving nine different phases, starting from the selection of the quality-certified steel plate with the correct dimensions, before folding and perforating, alternating industrial technology with craftsmanlike attention to detail.
The result is a seat with artfully simple lines, conveying warmth and friendliness, and versatile in its possible uses and settings, from a dinner party at home to an elegant executive office, to a café terrace in the historic quarter of town. This flexibility is further extended by the addition of a stool, again combining elements in solid beech wood and steel plate, available in two different heights to satisfy a range of domestic and contract requirements.
The Bouroullecs have been working with Magis since 2004, designing two complete furniture collections as well as other projects. These days, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec design for numerous manufacturers and they also continue to carry out their own experimental activity which is essential to the development of their work at Galerie Kreo, Paris, where four exhibitions of their designs were held between 2001 and 2012. They also embark on occasional architectural projects.