Vitra's Typecasting Installation at Milan Design Week

During Milan Design Week, Vitra presented 'Typecasting,' an installation curated by Austrian designer Robert Stadler at La Pelota, a former Basque pelota court. The installation features 200 furniture pieces and objects arranged on a yellow platform, grouped into nine social categories rather than by type or decade: Communals, Compulsive Organizers, Slashers, Dreamers, Beauty Contestants, Dating Site Encounters, Spartans, Restless, and Athletes. The concept draws from film industry typecasting, exploring how design reflects social identities. Notable pieces include the Living Tower by Verner Panton, six new prototypes of 'community sofas' by designers such as Konstantin Grcic, Barber Osgerby, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Commonplace Studio, and Stadler himself, who created 'Hybrid'—a sofa that can be configured for classic or convivial seating. The dating section pairs contrasting works like Scott Burton's Soft Geometric Chair and Hella Jongerius's Polder Sofa, highlighting the porous boundary between art and design. The installation runs until April 22, 2018.