Circularity, creativity and material innovation in focus as Fyra, Emma Olbers and All Matters Studio conceive design bars at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2025

Materials, sustainability and innovation take center stage at three unique design bars devised by Fyra, Emma Olbers and All Matters Studio for the Stockholm Furniture Fair in February. Fyra’s “Paper Bar”, with a concept built entirely around paper, serves as a scene for design talks curated by Dezeen and Disegno Journal, while Emma Olbers “Material Dialogues”, conceived as a hub for exploring circular solutions, new materials and sustainability, host Industry Talks – a new seminar series focusing on sustainability. Meanwhile, the Greenhouse bar, titled “En Bar Bara” (“Just a Bar”), designed by All Matters Studio, will merge artistry and functionality in a serene space perfect for a break from the bustle of the fair.

Stockholm Furniture Fair continues its commitment to advancing material innovation, creative problem-solving and sustainability in the design industry, as it commissions three unique design bars for the upcoming fair in February 2025. Designed by the Finnish agency Fyra and the Swedish All Matters Studio and Emma Olbers, the bars address pressing topics in design, architecture and construction, offering spaces for dialogue, interaction and inspiration.

Paper Bar

Paper Bar by Fyra, a Helsinki-based design agency focused on functionality, aesthetics and branding through interior design, draws its inspiration from the Stockholm Furniture Fair 2025 theme “Connecting the Dots”, bringing it to life through the innovative use of paper in various forms and functions. With creative, resource-conscious use of existing materials, each element of the design weaves together the fascinating versatility of paper, an essential material across multiple creative fields from architecture and fashion to writing and music.

Fyra describes the bar as “capturing the moment just before creation: a blank canvas, the space where ideas begin to emerge. Paper Bar becomes a place of pure potential, inviting visitors to connect and envision.”

Paper Bar also includes a stage area for Stockholm Furniture Fair’s talks programme, curated in collaboration with Dezeen and Disegno Journal. To bring the vision to life, Paper Bar will be crafted in collaboration with a selection of innovative and forward-thinking brands. The space will be elevated with furniture and lighting from Vaarnii and Artek, while Astrid Textiles enhances the environment with their paper-like textiles and Metsä Group contributes their cellulose fiber solutions, and Ege’s CircleBack carpet ties the space together.

Material Dialogues

The Swedish designer Emma Olbers has created a sustainability-focused space that combines an exhibition, bar, and stage. The design bar Material Dialogues is designed to inspire meaningful discussions and aims to accelerate progress in sustainability, circularity, and fossil-free innovation. The concept addresses climate change directly, illustrating the links between emissions and environmental impact. Visitors can explore the complexities of circular systems, discover examples of innovative materials, and see calculations of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the space itself.

“This is an exhibition based on areas where I personally want to learn more. I’ve searched, discussed, and spoken with people to discover new materials and ideas. I hope this exhibition will inspire creative conversations and lead to new collaborations and solutions. Above all, I want to encourage an important dialogue that makes it easier to make the right choices,” says Emma Olbers.

Material Dialogues will also serve as the venue for Industry Talks, a new series of seminars produced in collaboration with The Swedish Federation of Wood and Furniture Industry. These talks will tackle pressing issues in the industry, with a special focus on sustainability.

To minimize emissions from food, star chef Paul Svensson has curated a sustainable menu for the bar. Variable has calculated the emissions for the exhibition, Stena Circular Consulting has done all the analyses regarding circularity and reuse, and Papershell has explored bio-carbon and regenerative design.

En Bar Bara

This year’s Greenhouse bar “En Bar Bara” (Swedish for “Just a Bar”) offers a calm refuge amidst the buzz of the fairground. Designed by All Matters Studio, the bar aims to be a serene space balancing at the intersection of artistry and functionality.

“We prefer simplicity in our design language, letting the materials we use speak for themselves. Often, we aim to create interiors with a stylized expression that doesn’t necessarily reflect the latest trends. From the beginning, we knew we wanted to create a special edition of our Frame_05 table, which will serve as a six-meter-long centerpiece made of aluminum profiles and natural stone. We also wanted to include our Pinne_04 chair, with its simple shapes, as a guest in the bar,” says Fredrik Widén, Founding Partner at All Matters Studio.

With flooring and rug manufacturer Bolon as a partner, the studio will use material from Bolon’s latest Elements collection in inventive ways – as a flooring, but also for walls and seating furniture specifically designed for the bar, in a color palette reminiscent of nature.

Stockholm Furniture Fair
Stockholm Furniture Fair will be held on February 4-8, 2025 at Stockholmsmässan, in parallel with Stockholm Design Week, February 3-9.
stockholmfurniturefair.se

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