Workplace design and office furniture have rapidly changed over the years. This is partly due to new considerations made to the workplace, such as the focus on fostering collaboration, or concerns for the mental and physical welfare of employees.

Needless to say, the design of the office affects the way we work. At the recent Ventura Lambrate 2016, Amsterdam based manufacturer of furniture Lensvelt and Space Encounters Office for Architecture launched The Boring Collection, a series of office furniture that takes a step back in design with clinical, fuss-free, grey, archetypal designs of the chair, table and storage unit. This is deemed as an ‘antithesis’ to the playground office concept that has infiltrated workplaces worldwide with ping pong tables or slides, which is perceived by the design team to “devastate creativity”.

The Boring Collection purposely fades into the background, placing focus on staff and the manifestation of creativity. It aims to generate a more pleasant working experience by envisioning the office as a canvas for unconventional ideas, where possibilities are endless. At the exhibition, mountains of crushed paper balls filled the ‘boring office’, inviting visitors to have fun, as if they were liberated staff members.

The exhibition was awarded the Best Concept of Salone 2016 at Milano Design Award.