studio wieki somers: merry go round coat rack wins 2009 dutch design award

the ‘merry-go-round’ coat rack before the rush of visitors images courtesy of elian somers

studio wieki somers has been awarded the golden lion at the 2009 dutch design awards for her merry-go-round coat rack designed for the museum boijmans van beuningen, rotterdam completed by haunting dogs full of grace(a partnership of six designers who came together for the occasion). made from red and white ropes arranged in a vertical stripe pattern, the carousel functions through the use of plastic pulley blocks, fire hoses and metal weights in which visitors can hang and vertically move their coats. the concept of the coat hanging device comes from mine workers who need to have their jackets hoisted up within the mine because space is so limited. usually our jackets and bags are things we like to hide and put behind a closet door. here, wieki somers puts these items on display. within the museum space, the coats float just below the ceiling while bags and other personal items are shown, behind transparent mesh lockers. these mundane objects becoming somewhat like museum pieces themselves, with the coat rack continuously creating a changing and moving visual of color and shapes.

the carousel filled with colorful jackets image courtesy of museum boijmans van beuningen

as visitors interacting with the coat rack images courtesy of elian somers“the merry-go-round coat rack is a spatial ballet for coats, with a colour palette that is determined by the season. its presence is so strong that one starts experiencing the museum the moment one enters the space: something as banal as a coat rack has clearly become a work of art itself. by participating, the user becomes part of the design. the engagement of the designer is tangible, the technical and aesthetic execution is excellent; all these qualities together make this the best design of the moment.” – DDA jury