DATUM – A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES
Development and production of an exclusive, functional and in its form unique porcelain series
The geometry of the design as a challenge
DATUM is the first porcelain tableware series designed by the global architecture and design studio Foster+Partners in collaboration with Porzellanmanufaktur FÜRSTENBERG. The exceptional design of DATUM follows a pure and controlled geometry. Achieving this straight-lined geometry is one of the most exacting production challenges when using porcelain.
Find out more about the joint development of the DATUM form and the elaborate production with a lot of craftsmanship and attention to detail in our porcelain manufactory.
"We draw no distinction between architecture and industrial design. No detail is too small."
Design by Foster + Partners
The DATUM form was developed by the global architecture and design studio Foster + Partners in collaboration with FÜRSTENBERG. The core concept of the Foster + Partners design team was to explore the relationships between each piece in the tableware collection. The dimensions of the individual pieces are carefully calibrated within a grid matrix creating a direct interplay between them. This formal geometry and its precise execution enable multiple functionalities and efficient stackability.
Throughout the development process, the design team sought the advice of various internationally renowned chefs, with this input helping to shape the form and functionality of the porcelain series.
"Straight geometries and right angles are incredibly hard to achieve in porcelain and DATUM was a tough challenge for our modellers. Displaying their great passion for the art of porcelain, they succeeded in making the impossible happen. This is our hallmark as genuine craftspeople."
Master of model making
Based on the detailed technical drawings from the Foster + Partners industrial design team, the master modellers at Porzellanmanufaktur FÜRSTENBERG fashioned plaster models or used 3D-printed models. They took into account the special properties of porcelain during firing – it softens, changes shape and shrinks by up to 14%.
Using these preliminary models, plaster moulds were cast to produce the initial porcelain prototypes. For each piece in the new collection, several prototypes were produced to work out the precise intricacies of the pieces down to the millimetre. Twelve months of development work was devoted to mould making, putting the porcelain experts’ decades of experience to the test.
"With DATUM, we are presenting a modern collection for our 275th anniversary that continues our tradition of porcelain series with the potential to become classics. 275 years of contemporary porcelain design and living craftsmanship are a high cultural asset of which all porcelain manufacturers in Fürstenberg are justifiably proud."
Porcelain Art Made in Germany
With considerable hand craftsmanship, expertise and maximum precision, the sophisticated design of Foster + Partners comes to life in peerless product quality at the Porzellanmanufaktur FÜRSTENBERG. The experienced porcelain makers pay attention to every detail with care and dedication.
In this way, a pioneering porcelain collection is created in Fürstenberg, Lower Saxony / Germany, which sets standards worldwide for contemporary table culture.
Fotocredit: Aaron Hargreaves | Foster+Partners