Hannes Wettstein

Background

Hannes Wettstein (born 10 March 1958 in Ascona, died 5 July 2008 in Zurich) was a Swiss industrial designer. According to German Wikipedia he trained as a building draughtsman, worked as an exhibition builder, taught himself design and became independent in the early 1980s; he founded his Zurich agency in 1991. Molteni&C calls him one of the most interesting designers of his generation, with projects from products and communication to architecture.

Signature Style

Fredericia describes a designer who rethought how rooms are organised and what objects are for, who called himself an anarchist and arrived at surprisingly simple solutions. It quotes him: "For me, innovation often consists of introducing the familiar into new contexts in unexpected ways."

Notable Works

• Metro low-voltage lighting system for Belux (1982) and the Snodo luminaire
• Juliette chair for Baleri Italia, listed there as a 1987 bar stool
• Globe sofa for Cassina and the Skater seating element for Bulo
• Alfa and Wave chairs, and the High-Wave bed, Lido sofa and Turner sofa, for Molteni&C
• Delphi sofa for Erik Jørgensen, 2007
• Interior of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin

Legacy

After his death his partner Stephan Hürlemann continued the office as Studio Hannes Wettstein. In 2011 the ETH Zurich showed the exhibition "Hannes Wettstein, 1958-2008", and the book "Seeking Archetypes" (Lars Müller) lists 347 projects.