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REPORTAGE
MANU-
FACTUR-
ING THE
FUTURE
On the 118,000 square meters
(1,270,141 square feet) of the five
manufacturing sites of Ligne
Roset, approximately eight
hundred craftsmen make 95% of
the furniture and accessories sold
around the world. With up to 300
chairs leaving the site of Briord
on a daily basis, the work pace
can be very strong. Nonetheless,
behind the glass façade lies a truly
serene atmosphere with amazing
mountain views accompanied by
the bell tower of Briord.
The complex assembly of a
seat cover for a
Ploum
chair
is confidently finished by a
seamstress in the workshops.
Another craftsman then combines
this with one of the ingenious
foam sculptures assembled on an
invisible metal structure. Using
a clever system of wire pulling,
the piece gets padded like a
Chesterfield armchair, in its 21st
Century version. "I worked on the
creation of the Ploum sofa along
with the brothers
Bouroullec
.
The whole process felt like a
novel!
”
recalls Ludovic Auchet,
Technical Officer of the Briord
manufacturing plant. "We had
to overcome great difficulties
to achieve this curved metal
structure and develop an ultra-
soft foam. But we love this type
of challenge.
”
Developing the
memory foam formula alone
demanded two years of work with
a supplier. But the investment
proved profitable: released in
2011,
Ploum
, an ultra-comfortable
contemporary nest, is poised for
deposing the
Togo
seat from its
throne in the list of best sellers.
Its development has enabled, in
turn, the creation of the
Manarola
armchair (2016) by
Philippe
Nigro
, with its carefully designed
elegance and comfort, highlighted
by a seat and backrest in a
single block of foams, mounted
on a wooden curved cradle.
"Technological innovation always
accompanies innovation in forms,
”
comments Michel Roset, Chief
Creative Officer. "When we
develop a project, we take the
time to achieve the best possible
outcome. Sometimes it does not
work, but we never regret our
efforts.
”
The typical quilted appearance
of the
Ruché
chair cover by
Inga Sempé
(2010) is brought
to life with hand-finishing of the
work of a sewing machine in the
workshop. The designer herself
had meticulously developed the
model on a sewing machine. Ligne
Roset decided to buy an industrial
machine, specifically manufactured
to reproduce all these subtleties
on a large scale. "The style of
the Ruché chair has inspired our
competitors, but thanks to our
technological innovation, no
one has been able to copy our
products yet,
”
explains Ludovic
Auchet. While this machine
plays a key role in technological
innovation, a cornerstone of
Ligne Roset's success, there is
another critical component: time.
Time for researching, exploring
and thinking is at the helm of the
company’s design process. Haste
is not an option in manufacturing...
the future pages in the history of
furniture are written calmly.