From microbial chairs to sculptural woodwork, four German creators are reimagining the country’s legendary design heritage for a global stage.
Germany has long been synonymous with groundbreaking design—from the radical ideals of the Bauhaus to the meticulous craftsmanship of the Werkbund. At the 2025 edition of Maison&Objet, that lineage takes center stage once again with the Rising Talent Awards, which this year shine the spotlight on Germany’s new wave of creative visionaries. Precision, experimentation, and a deep respect for materials remain the throughline, but what sets this generation apart is their playful interrogation of tradition and their willingness to fold sustainability, technology, and narrative into the very DNA of design.
Among those carrying the torch are Friedrich Gerlach, whose research-driven explorations range from biocement to microbial chairs; Gerlach & Heilig, the Amsterdam-based duo shaping poetic dialogues between material and meaning; and Haus Otto, whose playful yet deeply contextual projects blur the lines between object and space.
Completing the lineup is craftsman Gabriel Tarmassi, who brings a sculptural sensibility to woodwork, transforming natural forms into tactile objects of both function and reverie.
Together, they paint a vivid portrait of Germany’s avant-garde—restless, bold, and profoundly connected to both heritage and the future.
Friedrich Gerlach — Design in Flux
Friedrich Gerlach thrives at the edge of science, sustainability, and design. Whether it’s a chair grown with microbes and recycled bricks (2022), experimental biocement research (2019), or a mobile sauna designed for Burg Giebichenstein University (2022), his practice consistently blurs the line between innovation and practicality. Gerlach’s approach is research-driven, but never sterile—his projects are playful interventions into how we might live, build, and even relax in the future. By working with processes such as bacterial growth and additive manufacturing, he challenges industrial norms while proposing new, ecologically conscious paths forward.
“I think it’s really important to show what’s going on in the production process,” he stated during the press tour, pointing to the video at his booth that takes viewers through the steps.
From cutlery to stools to an incredible stackable chair, each piece showcased how using recycled materials goes beyond a trend. The stackable chair Lumo can be printed in ten minutes. Gerlach chose the pioneering bio-digital material system Econit Wood for this product. By repurposing wood leftovers from sawmills and timber harvesting, the life cycle of the material is extended. Through 3D printing, it efficiently transforms every particle into intricate, on-demand designs.
Gerlach & Heilig — Dialogues in Material
Behind Gerlach & Heilig, Amsterdam-based duo Kyra and Lenn Heilig bring a fresh lens to material experimentation. They treat every project as a dialogue between themselves, between material and concept, and between past and present. Their Heritage Glass Collection revisits centuries-old glass vessels from the Black Forest, reinterpreting both their form and production processes. Referencing the historic Buhlbach glassworks, birthplace of the champagne bottle, the collection celebrates imperfection and origin.
“From the melting process, the color of the glass naturally turns this green color you see. We love that the color reflects the origin of the material,” the duo explained during the press tour.
The same sensitivity to heritage drives their display furniture series, which updates traditional wedging techniques with CNC-milled components that interlock without glue or screws.
Their experimental mindset continues with Fragments of Mining, a collection inspired by the Black Jura rock layer of the Alb region. Here, stone fragments shaped by nature are reassembled into six furniture-like objects, collaged into an evocative installation. By treating materials as storytellers rather than passive mediums, Gerlach & Heilig infuse their projects with cultural and conceptual resonance. The result is design less about static outcomes and more about the processes, relationships, and narratives materials carry—often developed hand in hand with artisans in the very regions where those resources originate.
Haus Otto — Playful Contextualists
Stuttgart-based Haus Otto, founded by Patrick Henry Nagel and Nils Körner, approaches design with a mix of wit and responsibility. Their work often draws on art movements like Fluxus and Radical Design, infusing contemporary practice with both humor and critique. The Zooom Rug (2024) exemplifies this, doubling as a bold rug and a daybed while playfully scaling up traditional weaving techniques into oversized, cartoon-like pipes.
“You can add as many of the ‘pipes” as you’d like to make it smaller or larger,” the team explained. “We tie a bad at the ends of each ‘pipe’ to secure them together.”
Beneath the playful surface lies a serious commitment to sustainability: materials, sourcing, and end-of-life considerations are all embedded in their process. For Haus Otto, design isn’t just about producing objects but fostering networks of sharing, repair, and cultural dialogue.
Gabriel Tarmassi — Sculpting with Nature
Representing the craftsmanship dimension of the Rising Talents, Bamberg-based Gabriel Tarmassi brings a deeply tactile sensibility to design. His wooden sculptures and objects are born from an intimate dialogue with the material—grain, warp, and cracks are not obstacles but expressive collaborators. Tarmassi often works with green wood, allowing natural deformation to become part of the piece’s identity, producing works that are both archaic and contemporary. His creations—like his Cabinet for a Dreamer (2023)—balance function with artistic reverie, making him a compelling voice for the future of craft, where tradition and experimentation merge seamlessly.
“I began my career working with cabinetry before entering the world of sculpture. The Cabinet for a Dreamer combines the two, and it marks the first time I’d worked sculpture into cabinetry,” he said.
