One to Watch

30 August 2017

is Studio Verena Hennig, the design studio set by Verena Hennig while she was still a student, and later branching into product design, all based in Nuremberg.

By Emily Martin

Who

Verena Hennig set up Studio Verena Hennig in 2012 while a student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg, Germany. The German-based design consultancy combines the fields of art, architecture, design and film. ‘The studio gained an international reputation for creating projects with exceptionally sensory perception for audiences…[with] design solutions altering the familiar,’ says Verena Hennig, now with a client list that includes MINI/BMW, Dezeen, and New Museum Nuremberg.

In 2015 Hennig added a product design arm to the business, branding it Verena Hennig and creating innovative furniture for everyday use. ‘With focus on the interaction between product and user – and a commitment to minimalistic aesthetic – Verena Hennig creates timeless objects, produced locally with the highest standards of craftsmanship,’ she says.

Roll Collection was designed to provide a playful, innovative and engaging user experience. The seating consists of aluminium rollers that massage users if they slide left and right..‘Interacting with this unique seating activates various muscle groups, which helps to relieve stress and tension,’ says Hennig.

Why

Hennig says she set up business during her visual communication and graphic design course as she was keen to work on live projects. ‘I was hungry for the real world,’ she says. ‘In the beginning it felt like “playing” when running the studio; you make your first steps, fall over, try again; after a while it doesn’t feel like acting anymore, you realise you’ve actually become an MD, creative director and designer.’

The Line was created for the event Blaue Nacht 2015 at the New Museum in Nuremberg. The 25m-long installation functions somewhere between a large playground and room divider. Some 80 white air mattresses provided visitors with a comfortable place to play, relax, recharge and interact during the event.

The first Verena Hennig product range, ROLL Collection, won the 2016 Iconic Award in Interior Innovation. ‘It is so nice to see people falling in love with my products,’ says Vennig, who is seeing the studio grow to now employ designers, engineers, architects and interns. In the meantime Vennig plans to grow the Verena Hennig brand and extend its lighting range.

Rope Light draws an ‘illuminated line through a space, constrained only by the imagination’, says Hennig.The pendant design allows for different configurations and shapes to be showcased. ‘Warm light shines from 360-degree, customised LED bars to create a comfortable and unique mood,’ she adds.