Dezeen Showroom: Stefan Diez had to rethink sofa construction to create Italian brand Magis's Costume system, which is easy to take apart, recycle and clean.
Conventional sofas are typically difficult or impossible to separate into their component parts, preventing recycling and repair.
But Diez and Magis came up with a new construction method for Costume that does not involve its constituent elements being permanently fused together, while most of the materials can be recycled.
The new product was unveiled in February in a live Dezeen talk, in which Diez explained the concept to Dezeen's editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs.
The Costume sofa is designed to be dismantled, recycled and easily cleaned
"We set out together with Magis to develop a sofa system that could be completely dismantled, with as little polyurethane foam as possible and a textile cover that is washable and can be replaced," said Diez. "At the beginning, it all seemed quite complicated, almost impossible. In the end, we worked on it for four years and invested a lot of time in studying it."
Sofa modules are joined by connectors in either matching or contrasting colours
The resulting product has a polyethylene structure made from recycled industrial waste that is itself further recyclable. Cushioning is provided by a pocket spring core and a thin layer of foam, which are held in place by a fabric cover with elastic loops that hook into the sofa's base.
The system has just four modules ? a seat,...