tomas alonso: silver tea set for wiener silber manufactur

silver tea set by tomas alonso together with vienna silver manufactur image © designboom

‘silver tea set’ by spanish designer tomas alonso together with wiener silber manufactur (vienna silver manufacture) has been presented as part of vienna design week‘s passionswege program. the initiative invites young, emerging designers to work with selected vienna-based firms and manufacturers, exchanging design ideas resulting in a tangible outcome, be it a product or installation.

people who know tomas alonso’s work often think of simple objects executed in wood, striking one as light, three-dimensional sketches. one would probably not associate his material and studio practice with viennese silver, making this collaboration an interesting one. alonso approached his designer role with the ‘functionality of pattern’ in mind for this particular project: a plain tea service with a fluted pattern on the underside of the individual set pieces and upper side of the tray, seamlessly interlock with each other – an ensemble that simultaneously combines harmony with willful originality. in this way for example, when the sugar bowl sits on top of the tray, it appears as if it is bottomless and attached directly to the serving surface in this way.   the pieces are each fashioned with an extremely high fine silver content, which not only increases their assessed material value, but also offers an anti-oxidising effect. this makes the set ‘suitable for dishwashers’, as is stated on the website of the established firm which has been in existence since the 1880s.

when the sugar bowl sits atop the tray, it looks like it has no bottom image © designboom

detail of the ridged effect image © designboom

inside vienna’s silber manufactur image © designboom