Hannes Wettstein

Hannes Wettstein (1958-2008) was one of the most innovative and influential designers in Switzerland. His background alone did not follow a standard pattern: born in 1958, Wettstein completed an apprenticeship as a structural engineering draughtsman and then trained himself as a designer and architect. He was fascinated by technological developments as well as art history and architecture; somehow, his unique way of developing ideas, alchemical and ingenious, never disappeared. As he used to say and do, he questioned all norms, social, industrial, cultural and ritual, in order to discover something new. This absoluteness was not an attitude but a methodology. His willingness to always rethink everything determined by design - everyday actions, organization of rooms, the purpose of things - led him to create surprisingly simple solutions that outlasted time. Again and again he returned to sleek forms and classic modern lines. These suited his vision of the world and society even before its time. He knew that only self-evident design can be endurable. Hannes Wettstein designed elegant and perfect objects for daily use that maintained their identity and remained timeless even in the changing flow of fashion. Also in room design he created archetypes: complete and sensitive solutions for specific locations, interior fittings or set designs. The comprehensive way in which he helped design the world lives on today in the company he founded in 1991, Studio Hannes Wettstein.