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Colani’s Designs for Kusch+Co  
Kusch+Co has always been keen to embrace the experimental creations of this designer, which became much-coveted design classics – resulting in a lifetime bond.

Colani is known for his immense amount of creative energy and his predilection for the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia, which was recently coined as “Colani-land” by the German newspaper WELT am Sonntag. In hindsight, it was fate that the roads of the great desig­ner Luigi Colani and the innovation-oriented manufacturer of contract seating Kusch+Co crossed. 
Nearly 50 years ago, the budding designer was hired by this Sauer­land-based contract furnisher – and even got a tenure at Kusch+Co at the end of the 1960s. Colani, the “enfant terrible” in the design world, worked for an entire year in Hallenberg – creating a genuine “Colani” for the company – a design classic that gained world-wide acclaim, and that is loud, colourful and stylish. And in its own style with a timeless appeal, which, in fact, holds true for all the products penned by Colani. A fine example is the legendary lounger TV-Relax, launched by Ku­sch+Co in the year 1968, but it wasn’t until 2005 that this lounger was industrially produced. The designer created other experimental offe­rings for Kusch+Co, among them a rather unconventional row-linking chair. However, these designs were only produced in limited numbers as prototypes. Colani was way ahead of his time.
 
“A very special connection”
“Colani and Kusch+Co, that was and always has been a special connection”, says Ricarda Kusch, the grandchild of the company’s founder Ernst Kusch, and current CEO of Kusch+Co, on the occasion of Colani’s passing away. The creative bullhead lived and worked for a year in Hallenberg, and became a good friend with her grandfather, who gave him plenty of creative leeway and the freedom to experiment. 
Courage and open-minded attitude towards new ideas

“During his tenure at Kusch+Co, Colani used about seven to eight tonnes of plaster to make his prototypes. Most of these were never produced, but is offers convincing proof of Ernst Kusch’s courage and open-minded attitude. In fact, that is an integral part of his legacy to my father Dieter Kusch, which he passed on to us”, she recalls. 
Up to today, the clean lines and ergonomics of this Kusch+Co design still fit the Kusch+Co brand perfectly. His experiments are a source of inspiration. Befitting the TV-relax lounger, Colani created a pairing chair with matching design aesthetics. The “Colani Collection” has been installed in some noteworthy projects – like the Paris Airport Charles de Gaulle and in the lobby of MTV Germany in Berlin. They serve as ar­chitectural eye candy in the homes of design aficionados, eye-catchers in medical practices or in prominent, representative waiting areas of cutting-edge companies and large developments.


1 Luigi Colani worked for one year at Kusch+Co in Hallenberg, where he was given a lot of experimental 
leeway. Even after that, a special bond remained. Luigi Colani with Dieter Kusch. Photo: Kusch+Co 

2 Luigi Colani on an armchair from the Colani Collection by Kusch+Co. The armchair was designed in the 1960s years, launched in 2005 - and still sold today. Photo: Marburger wallpaper factory

3. The brightly coloured armchairs from the Colani Collection for Kusch+Co were developed in the 1960s and are now available in a wide range of colours.in 2005 - and still sold today. Photo: Kusch+Co

4 Armchairs and loungers TV-relax from the Colani Collection by Kusch+Co. A design that is reflected throug­hout the entire in the world. Photo: Kusch+Co

5 and 6: The pioneering designs by Luigi Colani for Kusch+Co are surprisingly timeless. Liege TV-relax of the Collani Collection. Photo: Kusch+Co

7 Luigi Colani has also designed a row chair for Kusch+Co. However, it remained an experiment. Photo: Kusch+Co

8 A compact children‘s chair by Luigi Collani for Kusch+Co, a prototype from the 1960s. Photo: Kusch+Co

9 Compact children‘s armchairs by Luigi Collani for Kusch+Co, an experimental design with corresponding Staging from the 1960s. Photo: Kusch+Co

10 Luigi Colani also designed an armchair for Kusch+Co with a striking tubular steel frame and an additio­nal but it never went into series production. Photo: Kusch+Co

11 Not everything came onto the market, but the Colani Collection was launched by Kusch+Co in 2005, and is still in the program today. Photo: Kusch+Co