AHREND PUTS FOUR NEW PRODUCTS ON SHOW IN MILAN
at Fuori Salone Del Mobile


* Ahrend presents four spectacular new products
* Theme: ‘Worldwide networking and cooperation’
* Products on show in spacious authentic surroundings on Via Tortona


The international furnisher Koninklijke Ahrend N.V. will be putting four spectacular new products on show in Milan from 16 to 21 April 2008, during the world’s most important furniture trade fair, the Fuori Salone Del Mobile. Ahrend has a whole floor of a gracious old building at its disposition in the Zona Tortona, the well-known neighbourhood for designers and architects. Ahrend’s presence at this prestigious event underlines the company’s international ambitions.

Prototype table, designed by Marijn van der Poll
On entering the exhibition space, visitors come face to space with the spectacular new ‘Comet’ table, designed by Marijn van der Poll in the form of the wing of an aircraft. Marijn van der Poll explains the background to his creation: “The name ‘Comet’ refers to the de Havilland Comet, the world’s first commercial jet airliner that carried passengers round the world from the early 1950s until into the 1980s, and that formed the basis for the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod military aircraft that is still in service. The Comet table has no pedestals or other accessories. This reflects the current move towards open-space work environments, where a laptop and a PDA is all you need to do your work. The Comet is more than just a statement: its unique form adds to the work experience without any loss of functionality.” The model on show is made of polyester, with an internal steel frame. The worktop is given a high-gloss varnish finish.

Prototype chair, designed by Frans de la Haye
As they continue further through the exhibition space, visitors are confronted by the striking new chair designed by Frans de la Haye. De la Haye shares some thoughts about this comfortable rotary lounge chair with its timeless design: “This unique chair contains storage space for items like a laptop, to avoid the risk that they might get left on the floor so that you could roll over them with your chair or tread on them.” The chair is one member of a ‘form family’ comprising three related variants. The splendid ‘Solid’ is made of solid oak panels, and is surprisingly comfortable thanks to the suspension built into the seat and backrest. The ‘Soft’ has a steel frame and, as the name suggests, agreeably soft upholstery. And thirdly, the ‘Ply’ is made of moulded plywood. The seat and backrest are curved for optimum support, placing this chair at the pinnacle of comfort. All chairs are provided with heavy-duty, long-life bearings specially designed for this product in Japan.

Ahrend 750 open-leg worksite, designed by Wijtse Rodenburg
The final pièce de résistance is the combination of a new variant of the Ahrend 750 worksite and the new Ahrend 250 mesh-back chair. The striking new feature of the Ahrend 750 is its N leg unit, giving the worksite an attractive open-frame design to replace the old closed panels without compromising its quality and stability. The original Ahrend 750 was introduced in 2007 to support flexiworking. Its multifunctional, adjustable design allows it to be used as a standard worksite, a lounge worksite or for group projects, conferencing, study or reading as required. It was created by Ahrend designer Wijtse Rodenburg.

Ahrend 250 mesh back chair, designed by Frans de la Haye
The successful Ahrend 250 chair, designed by Frans de la Haye, was introduced in 2006. The new variant, introduced in 2008, is the first to feature a mesh back, a comfortable, ergonomic and good-looking solution that blends perfectly with this magnificent timeless design.

Display theme and exhibition space
Ahrend’s exhibition space occupies an entire floor of a beautiful old-style building in the Zona Tortona. The display was designed by the Belgian architect Luc Buelens, under the theme ‘Worldwide networking and cooperation’. Luc Buelens explains, “Networking and cooperation are basic human activities. On entering the exhibition space, visitors are immediately confronted by countless images of men at work on the walls. The life-size photos are interspersed with mirrors, to give each visitor the feeling that he is part of the crowd. The people in the photos all wear T-shirts with printed slogans, as do the Ahrend staff manning the stands.”

“You could think of the whole exhibition as a visualisation of the idea of supply and demand. We achieve this by placing static images on one side. They represent the demand – although we know that demand is far from static, its existence is a constant factor. On the other side we have dynamic images, representing the creative flexibility required to present solutions to the customers’ requirements.”

“Today’s consumers want products that are sustainable, environmentally friendly and ergonomically designed. By networking, people can combine forces to produce solutions that meet all these requirements. Ahrend facilitates this process by acting as a mediator on the way to solutions”, concluded Luc Buelens.

About Ahrend
Royal Ahrend NV is an expert on flexible office solutions and efficient utilisation of space. Ahrend enables people to work professionally, easily and productively by creating stunning office environments. Ahrend is active in office furnishing worldwide, both through its own branches and by means of successful cooperation with leading market players. Ahrend has been supporting various design and visual arts activities and initiatives for years. One example of this is the annual Ahrend Fellowship which is awarded to a promising student at the Amsterdam Rijksacademie van Beeldende Kunsten (Visual Arts Academy). As a designer and producer of recognisable and timeless 'Dutch design' furniture, Ahrend's collection includes such products as Revolt, Mehes, Ahrend 500, Ahrend 350, Ahrend 1200 and other award-winning seating, desking and storage products. Ahrend's experience in furnishing business environments goes back more than a century.
Ahrend has a long tradition of cooperation with leading designers and architects such as King & Miranda, Meyer & Van Schooten, Sigurd Rothe, Friso Kramer and Wim Quist.
For further information go to: www.ahrend.com.

Note for editors

Details of the trade fair

Ahrend at the Fuori Salone Del Mobile
16-21 April 2008, Via Tortona 32, Milan
Open daily from 10 am to 8 pm.
Press preview Tuesday 15 April from 3 to 7 pm.

For further details on Ahrend’s presence in Milan and Ahrend products, please contact:

Remon van Rijn, Press officer, Koninklijke Ahrend N.V.
Tel. +31 (0)6 12 68 44 23, E-mail rvrijn@ahrend.com.

For digital graphics material on Ahrend and Ahrend products, please contact:
Sara Rödiger, Communications department, Koninklijke Ahrend N.V.
Tel. +31 (0)20 4307 847, E-mail sroediger@ahrend.com.


Websites

www.salonedelmobile.com
www.marijnvanderpoll.com
www.ahrend.com