From small beginnings in a Swiss Village, Züco have grown into an international reputation for quality furniture
November 21st, 2008
In a small Swiss village called Rebstein in 1921, Karl Zünd set up a business which manufactured a variety of goods including horse saddles, upholstered furniture, bedware, leather goods and sports articles. His company quickly became successful, due to the passion and craftsmanship of the workers, and was soon the largest in the village with 10 employees.
Little did Karl know, that nearly 80 years later his company would grow to become a force in the global market. Far from the modest beginnings on the Swiss Austrian Alps, Züco (made up of the first two letters of Karl’s surname and the abbreviation for company) is now cementing its place in the worldwide commercial furniture arena.
During its development, Züco has expanded, building on their original focus in manufacturing to include design and distribution sectors. Conversely, their seemingly random initial range of offerings has been refined into a core business of high quality commercial office seating.
The qualities regularly attributed to items of Swiss development –whether they be watches, knives or furniture – are inherent in the Züco brand. Good quality, fine craftsmanship and precise design are to be expected. But it is another quality that has enabled Züco to be so eagerly accepted whenever they forge into new territory – passion.
Züco have established a method of collaborating with people who are as passionate about design as they are. Design Ballendat brings a sense of personality and uniqueness to the products he designs, bic-design stretches the limits of materials to offer innovative structural solutions and bert&bert’s designs are a meeting point for formal language and character and emotion.
Design for Züco is also about interaction. Each person involved in the company – from the designers and craftsman right up to CEO Roland Zünd, synchronises like the cogs in a watch, collaborating to create a working whole. Roland, who is also the creative mastermind of the company and grandson of founder Karl Zünd, says, “We see the process of creating a convincing solution as a task of coordination”.
Having established a presence in the USA, Canada and the Far East, Züco are now also firmly ensconced in the Australian and New Zealand markets. And it seems this migration has been a happy move for everyone.
Methis Australia
(61 2) 9660 4411
sales@methisaustralia.com
methisaustralia.com
zueco.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
The workplace has changed – and it will continue to evolve. With dynamism at the heart of clients’ requirements, architects and designers at leading practices such as Elenberg Fraser are using and recommending Herman Miller’s OE1 products for the future workplace.
Bidding farewell to mundane and uninspired office spaces, colour has transformed our workplaces into layered and engaging environments. So we sit down with Karina Simpson, Hot Black’s Workplace Lead, to talk about the influence colour has on the workspace landscape through the prism of Herman Miller’s progressive colour philosophy.
Recently released new designs from Bassam Fellows, Muuto and Established & Sons have officially landed in store and online at Living Edge.
Ontera’s modular carpets were specified in the recently opened Sunshine Coast University Hospital, where their high performance and aesthetic refinement has made them a highly successful flooring solution.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Bosch partners with The Multi-Residential Building category at the 2023 INDE.Awards and there is synergy and understanding of the forward-thinking design required to make a stand out project.
This shortlisted residential project channels the story of a house through decades of ownership by the same client. With sensitive touches and an ambitious overall design vision, Annandale Terrace by Sam Crawford Architects is a delightful home.
Once the byword for passé, the arch has returned to favour with force. The cheeky epitome of 70s chic is now championed on a grand scale with both renovations and new builds opting for the arch. Here are 6 outstanding examples.
Ostensibly an industrial design consultancy, Tilt was born of the observation of an increasing gap between architectural ambition and construction capability. The skill set lies in facilitating the inherently creative bent of architects, landscape architects and artists with engineering and industrial design solutions.