Sofa, Terrazza DS 1025,

1973

A student of Willy Guhl, Ubald Klug has proven himself successful at finding creative solutions to a multitude of different challenges—from designs for new bathroom fittings (Bellino sink, 1964) to concepts for urban installations in Paris (1972), from the cockpit of the Airbus A320 (1984) to a prototype for a modular apartment house (1970). Paris has been his sphere of activity since 1966. From time to time, the design consultant Alfred Hablützel has also brought him together with various Swiss manufacturers, such as in the 1970s with the leather furniture maker De Sede. Klug—a nonconformist when it comes to interior design—presented the company’s general manager at the time, Urs Felber, with an intriguing sketch of a sofa model based on the idea of a heap of sand deformed by sitting. De Sede agreed to produce the model as long as it was viable to do so using leather. Using rectangular panels as a foundation, Klug proceeded to construct an upholstery landscape that looked inviting to either sit or lie down on. He combined diverse elements into true “lounge landscapes.” The sofa’s similarity to layered topographical models or terraced landscapes is hard to miss; this is probably where the model got its name, Terrazza. Mick Jagger’s pose illustrates the extent to which Klug’s concept captured the contemporary zeitgeist. The sofa’s curvy, malleable upholstered volumes featured all the characteristics of a living style then prevalent in young people’s collective housing—except for affordability. (Arthur Rüegg)