Atelier Oï

Background

In 1991 Aurel Aebi, Armand Louis and Patrick Reymond founded atelier oï in La Neuveville, Switzerland. The name oï derives from the Russian word "troïka", a team of three. The founders are architects, designers and boat constructors, and their involvement with architecture, design and naval construction, together with encounters with Alberto Sartoris and Ettore Sottsass, shaped the studio's philosophy. Its headquarters are in the former motel of La Neuveville, renamed Moïtel.

Signature Style

The studio describes a "po-ethic" vision of creativity that brings the individual closer to the elements, to nature, to the material and to emotions. The creative process often starts from the material itself, and the objects often stem from an intuitive and emotional interaction with it. Work ranges from architecture and interior design to product design and scenography.

Notable Works

Product collections include Allegro and Allegretto pendant lights for Foscarini, Oasis furniture for Moroso, Sinua lighting for Danese and Artemide, the Aria chair for Desalto, the Velum business lounge collection for Girsberger and the Souffle table lamp for Artemide. For B&B Italia the studio designed the Reel outdoor collection and the Hive ottoman.

Legacy

The studio's team has won national and international awards, among them Product of the Year from Architectural Record for the Allegro collection, the Prix bernois du design 2012 and a Red Dot Award for the Velum collection. Between 2008 and 2016 the three founders directed the Swiss Federal Prize of Design as President of the Federal Commission for Design.