CUSTOMER MAGAZINE

MoveMents

ISSUE 6/MAY 2013

INMotIonThe new drawer system cannot fail to impress with its minimalist elegance.

A movement system of superlatives is making its entrance on the kitchen and lifestyle stage: Vionaro. The drawer system is based on the concealed slide Dynapro, itself proven millions of times over in practical use. With its ultra-slender drawer side in aluminium or steel, Vionaro ensures top design in storage space.

Ars ViVendi. Vionaro conquers the exclusive kitchen universeof Dada. Pages ii/iii

sTrOnG PrOFiLe. A brilliant uninterrupted surface is the hallmark of the aluminium drawer side. Pages Vi/ Vii

sTATe OF The ArT.With reduction and clarity, Vionaro standsin the best tradition. Page V

Vibrant living is (not) an art – spaces for living, working, eating and cooking are melding into one.

Why should jazz CDs be stowed away any less stylishly than Japanese kitch-en knifves? There certainly won’t be any reason with the freedom for creative design provided by Vionaro. An absolute all-rounder has to proveitself everywhere. Whether in the kitchen or in the living room – we attach importance to functions that make life easier in any room at any time and that are attractively attired into the bargain. With the Vionaro designer system, the classic Dynapro slide has successfully been trans-formed into a one4all sensation. Thanks to Vionaro, the synchronised concealed system with 3D adjust-ability becomes a full-blooded draw-er system which revitalises storage spaces.

Versatile in application – that’s just one of Vionaro’s key features.

Particularly in times when single apartments dominate in cities and living space is used economically, designer solutions like Vionaro rise to top form. Its clever use of stor-age space makes Vionaro the ideal long-term choice for all applications in kitchen, bathroom, living room, office and bedroom areas which are showing a growing tendency to merge. The boundaries within our liv-ing spaces have become fluid. That makes it all the more important that modern movement systems can be harmoniously integrated into dif-ferent areas.

Vionaro – the slender design classic of tomorrow.

Vionaro – The new cubist drawer system has everything that dynapro has because it combines a slide system al-ready proven millions of times over with perfect design in an extremely slender form.

Paternal pride shows in his eyes. Norbert Jehle, GRASS specialist for concealed slide systems for the past five years, has accompanied Vionaro from the ini-tial idea and, in his capacity as product manager, played a part in bringing this newcomer to the world.

Vionaro has the best of dynapro inside.

It all began two and a half years ago, just as Dynapro was beginning to take off in the market. The concealed slide system which was awarded the red dot award in 2010 immediately became best in class for its excellent running characteristics and its particular stability. Thanks to Dy-napro’s outstanding load capacity of up to 60 kg, the unique three-dimensional adjustment facility and above all the first

ever synchronised movement, GRASS succeeded in completely revolutionis-ing concealed drawer slides. ”But the best thing about it is the modular design. Anything is possible with Dynapro,” says Jehle. So it was simply a logical conse-quence that furniture manufacturers and cabinetmakers wanted plenty of choice when it came to variety in design: surfaces, fronts and materials such as wood, aluminium, steel, glass, natural stone or concrete. The furniture indus-try has recognised the creative potential that lies in Dynapro. With this movement system, the drawer side can be com-pletely reconceptualised. More storage space, less slide and an aesthetic that is entirely in line with the latest design trends for living spaces.

But what exactly is this trend? “Everything which is not absolutely necessary is dis-pensable in design,” says Cologne-based Stefan Ambrozus, who was involved with the development of Vionaro as product designer. What he has in mind here are pieces of furniture, home furnishings and functional objects which elegantly blend in with the background. Transparent ma-

terials, slender and straight lines. Instead of filling living spaces with opulent furnish-ings, consumers prefer uncomplicated ob-jects that are transparent, light and aes-thetically sophisticated. The requirements which the furniture industry wanted Vion-aro to meet reflected this trend: “simply a slide that doesn’t take up space and is not visible,” as Andreas Bielefeld, product manager of the Germany company Nobilia Werke GmbH, puts it in a nutshell.

“Less is beautiful” also applies to gaps and reveals.

Simply putting a functional masterpiece out of sight is no easy task. Doesn’t that pain a product manager’s heart? For Nor-bert Jehle, that’s not an issue because “we sense what the market wants”. At the very top of his design specifications he noted the material of choice: alumin-ium. “We wanted a premium aesthetic appearance,” and aluminium fits the bill perfectly. The light metal offers pre-cisely the scope for creative design that the product experts from GRASS wanted for Vionaro: an ultra-slender drawer side of just 13 mm which comes without any

Proven millions of times over in practical use, the Dynapro concealed slide system holds the award for top design quality.

ViOnArO FACTS

drAwer side heiGhTs63 mm, 89 mm, 185 mm

nOminAL LenGThs250 - 650 mm

drAwer side widTh13 mm

mATeriALsToRSIoN-FREE DRAWER SIDES IN AluMINIuM AND STEEl

FrOnT cOnnecTiOnHIGH STABIlITy THANkS ToINTEGRATED FRoNT STABIlISER

3d AdjusTmenTINTEGRATED INTo DRAWER SIDE

hAndLinGNo MACHINING oF DRAWER BoTToM REquIRED

ornamentation or inconvenient grooves. “The drawer side is cut from a single anodised extrusion,” explains Norbert Jehle. The modern, linear form also ap-peals to the avowed minimalist: “An ab-solutely smooth surface.”

The positive uniform connection to back panels in wood and steel is equally smooth. And that’s the three sides of Vi-onaro complete. If only it was so simple: “We did a lot of fine-tuning on the tech-nology because we wanted an optimal so-lution for manufacturers,” says Norbert Jehle and this is where his background in joinery comes into play. He knows what he’s talking about when he expresses his excitement about the clean back panel connection and the integrated front sta-biliser. This increases the stability of the front connector, particularly in the case of high drawer sides. But that’s not all. Minimalism also applies here as the new front connector provides the opportunity to dispense with the odd groove. Who al-ways says that cool design and top func-tionality don’t go together? “No idea”, grins Norbert Jehle, “certainly nobody at GRASS.”

“At Dada, Vionaro showsits exclusive side in finelygrooved aluminiumanodised in black.”

harald KlühGRASS brand manager

minimalism in its purest form.

norbert jehle, product manager for concealed slide systemson the designer system Vionaro.

italian design meets high quality made in Austria. During the international furniture trade fair iSalone 2013, Dada presented the new Armani kitchen at its showroom in the centre of Milan.Ingenious functionality clothed in sleek elegance. With Vionaro, the outer styling is continued inside the cabinet, uniting the interior and exterior to form a perfect whole.

INMotIon. ThE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE. Page II/ III

“Design and functionality are the perfect

ingredients for true pleasure in the kitchen.“

Andrea molteni, head of design and development at Dada

Kindred spirits in art and expertise.dada and GrAss: Two brands – a collaboration between perfect form and function.

who doesn’t get excited when the subject is italian design?

Whether it’s furniture, clothing or cars – Italy’s style reveals itself in all areas of life. Extravagance and clas-sicism harmonise next to each other like a Ferrari alongside a Fiat 500. Ital-ian design is nonetheless unthinkable without traditional craftspeople. For generations, family businesses have been producing design icons for fash-ion, interiors and industry. Names such as Molteni, Prada or Tod’s now rank as global brands. These are living values that are combined with a bold artistic

interpretation: “It’s this symbiosis that sets Italian design apart,” says an in-spired Harald klüh.

on his very first visit to the company premises in Mesero near Milan, the global brand manager from GRASS was able to get an idea of the Italian combination of art and expertise. He describes the working atmosphere at Dada: “It’s like being in a creative agen-cy. So many materials, colour samples and design studies.” No wonder that renowned designers such as Norman Foster or Giorgio Armani like delivering designs for Dada.

Vionaro – Beauty of movement with italian spirit.

The company belonging to the Molteni Group was looking for a kindred spirit when it came to the concealed slides for its latest kitchen creation – and found it in GRASS and their system solution Vionaro. “The aesthetics and functional precision of the designer drawer sides skilfully reflect the spirit of the Dada philosophy,” explains Andrea Molteni. For the head of design and development at Dada, it’s above all the small details that play a major role in defining product quality. The slender aluminium drawer

sides were finely grooved and anodised in black especially for Dada: a casual chic look for the kitchen design belong-ing to the latest Armani/Dada line.

A shared passion for craftsmanship.

At Dada they dare to try new things and look for solutions that are 150% perfect. The collaboration between GRASS and Dada opens up exciting long-range pos-sibilities for both sides. “We are explor-ing the idea of conducting joint research into design and functionality,” empha-sises Harald klüh.

minimalism in its purest form.

The magic of simplicity.

“Don’t be trapped by dogma. Follow your heart and your intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.“ steve jobs, founder of Apple

The most revolutionary movement in living space design: Making the maximum out of the minimum. Here too, the Vionaro drawer system sets new standards.

“The front alignment makes the overall impression absolutely stunning!”

Günter GrabherChief developer at GRASS

GrAss MIlESToNES

2003 nOVA PrOFIRST DRAWER SySTEM WITH SyNCHRoNISATIoN

2004 sOFT-cLOseFIRST DAMPING SySTEM FoR HINGES 2009 TiOmOsTHE NEW VISIoNARy GENERATIoN oF HINGE SySTEMS WITH INTEGRATED DAMPING 2009 dYnAPrOFIRST SyNCHRoNISED CoNCEAlED SlIDE WITH 3D ADJuSTMENT

2013 ViOnArOTHE NEW CuBIST DRAWER SySTEM

our world is changing. lightweight con-struction and sustainability are conquer-ing every area of our lives down to the smallest detail. Reduce and make more efficient are the style specifications of the future. For trendsetters, the soft skills of design, emotion and the art of lifestyle nonetheless take priority – par-ticularly within their own four walls. The minimalism of our times says: leave the stress outside the door and just go for the feel good factor!

The developers at GRASS have long rung in the age of transformation for movement systems in the furniture in-dustry. With Vionaro, the cubist draw-er system, a highly elegant concealed slide solution is about to make its entrance into the living space of the21st century.

A milestone in concealed slide systems.

“Vionaro is the greatest milestone after Nova Pro, Nova Metro and Dynapro,” says someone who should know: Günter Grabher. As chief developer at GRASS, he has been responsible for creating no fewer than four slide systems during his 30-year commitment to movement sys-tems. When it came to the ultra-slender Vionaro drawer sides, he was able to fall back on his experience with the develop-ment of Nova Metro. “A major corner-stone in the development of double-wall systems,” recalls the drawer expert. His sketches of a minimalist drawer side which fits onto Dynapro – the world’s first synchronised concealed slide – were made well before the go-ahead was given for the product development process. Günter Grabher already had the design in his head before the re-quirements were noted down in the product brief. “A lot of my heart and soul went into Vionaro,” says a proud creator who draws his inspiration from everyday things.

with Vionaro we have succeeded in creating a source of inspiration for living space trends.

Even for the experienced specialist Günter Grabher, developing a no-com-promise design system was anything but commonplace: two puristic double-wall drawer sides in aluminium or steel, a back, a front and that’s it. A more consciously stripped-down approach hardly seems possible. When opening this drawer system, you stand before the vision of a movement system that has become reality. A vision that will inspire furniture design to continually reinvent itself.

INMotIon. ThE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE. Page IV/V

Formal aesthetics as the

antidote to boredom.

“The senses deform, the mind forms.” Georges Braque

Vionaro by GrAss is cutting-edge in terms of design, functionality and individual creative drive. Formally, Vionaro stands for reduction and clarity, which puts it in the best tradition of 20th-century art movements that broke with old conventions and paved the way for a fundamentally new view of reality.

In the early 20th century, Europe’s avant-garde threw established acade-mic art concepts out of the window. In painting, Cubism broke away from the lifelike representation of reality by de-constructing the classic painting into fragmented spatial planes as well as forms that overlap and penetrate one another, thus reflecting the growing importance of the individual in a crum-bling world.

The straight line and geometric forms became the ideal; the black square by Malevich was revolutionary. For many, what the Russian constructivists were proclaiming was pure provocation: three-dimensional constructions made of industrially produced materials such as metal and glass were to replace conventional pictorial art and create a machine aesthetic in the spirit of the industrial age.

Adopting new paths means breaking with old conventions.

What Walter Gropius set out in the Bau-haus manifesto remains visionary to this day: the unity of crafts, art and tech-nology should transform social reality and shape a new society. “Architects, painters, sculptors must all return to crafts!” For Gropius, the Bauhaus was an intellectual laboratory in which the various art genres were reunified in an entirely different way, and new techno-logies and materials used. Many of the objects of daily use developed in the Bauhaus workshops went on to become classics.

This revolution also took place in ar-chitecture. War was declared on orna-mental kitsch. Clarity and functional honesty were the new guiding principles. With his programmatic writings under the heading of “ornament and Crime”, Adolf loos is seen as a trailblazer of

modern architecture. He nonetheless attached particular importance to the comfort offered by his furnishings and to the traditions and wishes of the owners. Aesthetics is also function. He argued in favour of using the most elegant materi-als to achieve the look and feel of sensu-ality and culture.

With Vionaro, GRASS consciously makes reference to these art movements which have historically been instrumental in shaping styles. The clean line, the max-imum reduction to functional necessity and the use of premium materials en-able wide scope for individual creativity in kitchen design.

Features which have long been established in the field of consumer electronics are set to become the latest trend in the kitchen segment thanks to Vionaro by GrAss.

The material aluminium opens up new dimensions and design opportunities. Its extreme sturdiness, lightness and stability are properties which artists and architects could only dream of at the beginning of the 20th century. These attributes allow a radical reduc-tion in material thickness and conse-quently open up new scope for unusual creative ideas. Entirely new high-end kitchen landscapes are conceivable in conjunction with the use of new surface treatment techniques. In the best tra-dition of the artistic avant-garde of the twentieth century.

cubismFrance, from 1907

walter GropiusBauhaus Dessau, 1925/26

Adolf Loosornament and Crime, 1910

An edgy profile thanks to aluminium.

Product designer stefan Ambrozusis continually inspired by the perfect high-tech material.

“We had nothing to add – except the right angle.”

stefan AmbrozusProduct designer Studio Ambrozus, Cologne

Aluminium – The strengths of a lightweight.

Passion for a unique look.Anything but superficial: perfectly anodised drawer sides.

Virtually no other material provides such a self-assured response to high technical demands like aluminium.

When Stefan Ambrozus talks about the metal surface of a design object made of aluminium, the head of the Cologne-based Studio Ambrozus cannot hide his passion for the material. The expe-rienced product designer ranks kitchens as one of his specialist areas. kitchen appliances, luminaires, furniture ele-ments – his scope is very broad. Stefan Ambrozus doesn’t see himself as a “styl-ing designer” who decorates objects. He explains his philosophy: “Design has to go hand in hand with technology. The team at GRASS have done some excel-lent groundwork. Dynapro is a fantastic slide – robust, solid, incredibly dynamic and ultramodern. Those are all attrib-utes which had to be perceptible in the design of Vionaro.”

While Stefan Ambrozus had already worked with GRASS on the Tiomos hinge system and the concealed slide system Dynapro, things were very different for him in this case. With Vionaro, he was able to experience a totally new freedom in the design. He finds the idea of set-ting an ultra-slender drawer side onto the full-blooded concealed slide system Dynapro quite ingenious: “Aluminium is the perfect material to do just that!”

uncontrived, authentic and brilliant.

The anodised surface of the premium metal comes entirely without structure or orientation and provides a constant source of inspiration for the product designer. “That play of light on the bril-liant surface – it can’t be achieved with a lacquered finish.” In an age in which materials often speak to lovers of design through their colour, aluminium shows itself to be naturally authentic. As the metal does not require anticorrosion

You see and feel it. Beneath Vionaro’s aluminium surface lies a passion for detail.

No two silvers are alike. Hard to be-lieve, but there are minute nuances which make a fine difference. In lothar Schugmann’s office there are piles of aluminium samples for Vionaro in diffe-rent shades of silver. Some have a brown shimmer, others a tinge of yellow. This one looks darker, another appears ligh-ter. But the surface specialist at GRASS doesn’t rest until the ideal shade of sil-ver has been found. With a great feel for

protection to prevent oxidation, no ad-ditional layer is required. “Aluminium remains uncontrived and always simply says to us ‘I’m aluminium!’” explains Am-brozus.

Another aspect of aluminium is that it’s a true team player. Whether used in com-bination with whitewashed oak, Ameri-can walnut or elegant black – alumin-ium always provides a discreetly refined yet impressive companion thanks to its neutral, silvery surface. For the Vionaro drawer system, that’s a stroke of luck because it means there are no limits when it comes to the variety of design options in furniture making.

Aluminium feels good – and is in demand even in the smallest of spaces.

looks alone are not everything. For Ste-fan Ambrozus, the tactile experience also counts with aluminium. The met-al gives Vionaro an agreeable, warm feel. When you run your hand over the smooth, uninterrupted surface, you understand what the product designer means by “feels right”. Aluminium knows how to conceal the inner workings of Vionaro beneath its appealing exterior. Here again, the metal makes the most of its potential. No matter how complex the technological and functional re-quirements, aluminium always remains puristic and straightforward.

No wonder that the demand for alumin-ium design continues to grow among furniture makers. Aluminium has dar-ed to advance from the kitchen into all living areas and is becoming increasingly popular with end users in top-of-the-range bathroom furniture. Wherever there is a need for spatial economy and slender forms dominate, more and more alumini-um is being used. For Stefan Ambrozus, an inevitable development: “Aluminium provides optimisation at the highest level. you simply don’t want to go without it.”

After oxygen and silicon, aluminium is the third most abundant chemical element and also the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. It is used to build space shuttles as well as in the production of yogurt pots and drinks cans.

Aluminium is only found in combined form, for example as aluminosilicate min-erals in clay, gneiss or granite. Mineral gemstones such as ruby or sapphire also contain aluminium in oxidised form. The raw material used for the industrial pro-duction of aluminium is bauxite ore which contains roughly 60% aluminium hydrox-ide. Due to the expense involved in ex-tracting aluminium, the metal traded for a higher price than gold up until the first half of the 19th century. Today, alumini-um can be continually recycled without any loss of quality.

A ClEAR PrOFiLe

chemicAL sYmBOLAl

ATOmic numBer13

meLTinG POinT660.3 °C

recYcLinG rATe90%

mAss OF TheeArTh’s crusT7.57%

every detail, the head of purchasing for concealed slide systems throughout Eu-rope has sought out the best partners in aluminium production. No easy task as the quality specifications at GRASS are high and have posed major challenges even for global players in the aluminium sector.

It took a good nine months to achieve the ideal section with a reproducible roll-formed surface structure. As lothar Schugmann puts it, the extrusions for Vionaro are really nothing more than “metal-enclosed air”. The outer appea-

rance of the aluminium drawer sides is no less sophisticated in terms of the ma-nufacturing process. Vionaro’s perfectly smooth and even look is accomplished with the anodising process, in which the metal surface is oxidised to enhance its resistance. The fascinating thing about aluminium is that colour and metal mer-ge into one during the anodising pro-cess. The colour does not peel off, does not scratch and has effective protection against corrosion. Another asset for kit-chen professionals: finger marks don’t stand a chance on this premium-quality surface.

scienTiFic sYmBOL

INMotIon. ThE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE. Page VI/ VII

As creative people the world over are well aware: the enclosure of the latest Mac-Book generation is made from a single piece of aluminium, which reduces the number of components and increases stability. The “unibody” weighs 2.45 kg and is significantly thinner than its predecessor models bearing the striking Apple logo.

The Tolomeo collection by Giancarlo Fassina and Michele De lucchi has ranked among the design highlights in the true sense of the term for over 25 years. Developed for the Italian lighting manufacturer Artemide, the cha-racteristic lamp shade mounted on a fle-xible aluminium arm, which is in turn fixed to a polished aluminium base, brings light to all living and working spaces.

The compact car with cult status was the first vehicle to be built in series with an aluminium integral body and frame, the Audi Space Frame (ASF). on the latest models, A8, R8 and TT, this lightweight construction made it possible to achieve a 40 per cent saving in body weight over conventional steel versions.

Apple macBook Pro

Audi A2

Passion for a unique look.

Minimal art.

Everything is nothing and yet everything happens at the right time – Vionaro is like the work of an experienced Zen master.

Vionaro’s “minimal style” almost has a touch of the Far East. The ultra-slender Vionaro drawer sides seem to reflect the striving for “nothing” and yet they are even thinner than a tatami. Even today, the traditional rice straw mats are used to measure surface area. living space is defined by their size. A standard Japane-se room is the size of six tatami mats, which is roughly 10 square metres. But the tatami’s thickness of around 5.5 cm makes it four times thicker than a Viona-ro drawer side.

Entirely in the spirit of the centuries-old Zen teachings, the new drawer system underlines the aspiration of GRASS to create masterfully perfected brand qua-lity. Crafted in this awareness, Vionaro has what it takes to become a timeless modern classic.

“13 millimetres. That’s all

it takes for perfect design.“

Artemide Tolomeo

TRENDS IN ALuminium

INMotIon. ThE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE.Page VIII

Function + Perfect form = Vionaro.

Legal notice: Owner, editor and publisher: GRASS Gmbh | A-6973 höchst/Austria | Grass Platz 1 | www.grass.eu Subject to printing errors | May 2013 | EN 5.500 | F147117065000

rolf mintgenhead of the product divisionconcealed slide systems

Beauty, love of detail, precision of movement, perfect industrial manu-facture – virtually no other movement system achieves such a harmonious com-bination of rational and emotional aspects like the new drawer system from GrAss. with Vionaro, func-tional technology meets perfect form.

Clear forms, elegant, slender design and premium-quality materials – these are the special attributes of modern lifestyle furniture. With Vionaro, these creative aspirations have been success-fully transferred from the living room to every area within the living space for the very first time. The pure elegance of the Vionaro designer drawer sides gives furniture in kitchen, bathroom, liv-ing room and bedroom the same good looks. The fine aluminium and steel

drawer sides create a stylish wow effect that requires no decorative add-ons.

Panta rhei – everything flows...

Global trends show us that our differentliving areas are increasingly merging into one harmonious whole. living, working, cooking, eating and relaxing all take place within a single central space. Above and beyond this, a second, more intimate space is created by connecting

sleeping, bathing and wellness areas. Through this fusion of activities which were previously strictly separated, we create a pleasant, flowing and har-monious ambience.

This new ambience also manifests it-self in the choice of premium-quality materials and the love of design. “It’s me; I can and want to afford it” is the motto of the Web 2.0 generation. For modern people, the living space be-

comes a statement. Individual design options make that possible. Rolf Min-tgen characterises the latest develop-ments: “This trend is set to continue – particularly in the private sphere, individuality can be lived out, shielded from the outside world and individual wellbeing experienced.” He confesses to feeling most at home in his living-dining-cooking space. “Although the most important ideas come to me in my private wellness area.”

“Vionaro satisfies the highest design expectations the moment it opens.”