Sabine Marcelis created a colourful overhaul for VitraHaus, the German company's jumble of stacked house-shaped volumes in Weil am Rhein, home to its showroom and café. Following the footsteps of Jasper Morrison and Studio Ilse, Marcelis (who had previously collaborated with the Vitra Design Museum on the 2022 exhibition ‘Colour Rush!’) has transformed the building’s top floor, known as the VitraHaus Loft, into a colour-drenched dream home.
A series of buildings and spaces by leading architects, designers and artists, the Vitra Campus is not short of star attractions, from its Frank Gehry-designed museum, Piet Oudolf garden and conference pavilion by Tadao Ando, to the Schaudepot showroom and flagship VitraHaus, both by Herzog & de Meuron (who hail from neighbouring Basel, just across the Swiss border).
Sabine Marcelis' colourful VitraHaus interiors
Unlike her predecessors, to redesign this large, rectangular space she has not taken inspiration from imaginary characters but from her own domestic setting, a spacious former paper factory in Rotterdam’s beautifully named Coolhaven neighbourhood.
‘The philosophy behind the design closely mirrors how we created our family home,’ explains Marcelis. ‘It features a large open space divided into functional ones, delineated by colour. We then blended my creations with those of other designers, artists, and of course, Vitra furniture to create a cohesive whole.’
Smartly organised yet highly imaginative, the space harnesses the power of seven colours and a rich layering of different materials to create real warmth and personality. Dotted with artworks by the likes of Maria Pratts and Carlijn Jacobs, the resulting space certainly feels both elegant and homely. ‘The colours used in the VitraHaus Loft are personal favourites,’ Marcelis says. ‘I like these colours and never tire of them, which makes them timeless for me. I think this attitude is important for anyone creating their own home.’
‘The tones and hues Sabine has used are recognisable from the natural, organic world and they have a rich interaction with the various spaces – things are connected but do not all perfectly match,’ explains Till Weber, creative director of interiors & scenography at Vitra.
Highlights include a pink bathroom and a cool mint green living room, where Jasper Morrison’s ‘Soft’ sofa creates a cosy lounge area. ‘The original sofa system is generally used to create L shapes, and we’ve just merged it all to form this enveloping pit,’ says Marcellis. ‘I think it’s so important to have a good lounge. It can be really fun – I have a lounge pit at home as well, and it’s the core of the house. It’s so good to just jump in there.’
New limited edition Panton Chairs by Sabine Marcelis
The seven key colours used throughout the space – Bubblegum, Butter, Honeydew, Caramel, Harissa, Plum and Oyster – have also inspired the launch of limited editions of Verner Panton’s classic ‘Panton’ chair (available in seven different colours) and compact ‘Visiona’ stool (in four fabric colours), both on display in the VitraHaus Loft.
‘For the ‘Visiona’ stool, we are offering very different types of upholstery finishes alongside the individual colours, says Marcelis. ‘This ranges from faux fur made from angora goat’s wool designed by Raf Simons to leather and everything in between, giving each piece a very distinct personality.’
Sabine Marcelis’ VitraHaus Loft is on show from 12 June 2024. The limited-edition ‘Panton’ chair and ‘Visiona’ stool (limited to 50 pieces per cover material and colour) will be available from 12 June 2024 at the VitraHaus on the Vitra Campus and vitra.com
