In 2012, Olson Kundig Architects launched the Tom Kundig Collection—a steel accessories line focused on intimately scaled hardware components. Each piece celebrates the moments when people touch the buildings and spaces they inhabit. Envisioned as the first of several product lines by the firm, the Kundig-designed collection consists of twenty-five unique cut-and-folded steel products ranging from cabinet and door pulls to rollers and tables. Each piece is fabricated by 12th Avenue Iron from steel, then finished and waxed, revealing the subtle marks of its making. The focus of the collection stems from Kundig's well-known interest in the ways people interact with their environment. In Kundig's architecture, the simple act of opening a door becomes a ballet between user and structure. "The pieces in this collection act as a a bridge between the physics of our bodies and the physics of our shelter," he explains. "They stand as a tribute to the beauty and pragmatism of nature, from the raw materials we use to build to the way the human body is designed to move—the rational and the poetic. I want to make the parts of buildings you touch every day an enjoyable experience." The collection is a low-tech approach to hardware that provides an unpretentious yet tactile encounter with the built environment—a wink and a nod to elements that might otherwise be overly stylized or precious. For pricing, or to purchase these products, visit www.12thavenueiron.com

Published: March 20, 2013