Tim Webber x Audi
Inspired by the fluid lines and technological innovation of Audi’s A6 Avant e-tron, acclaimed designer Tim Webber crafts three stunning furniture pieces.
New Zealand designer Tim Webber and Audi have partnered to create a series of furniture pieces that reinterpret Audi’s design philosophy through the lens of contemporary furniture-making. With both parties aligned on form and craftsmanship, the collaboration is a natural alignment and celebrates the arrival of the Audi A6 Avant e-tron – Audi’s first fully electric wagon.
The relationship developed quite organically, driven by the company’s shared values around design ethos and a pursuit of innovation. “Audi reached out with the idea of exploring a creative collaboration and the opportunity immediately resonated with me,” recalls Webber. “I’ve always admired Audi’s commitment to precision, craft and timeless design – qualities that closely align with our own approach.”
Webber confesses he was excited to be exploring new creative territory. “This collaboration definitely pushed me in the best way,” he says. “I’ve never used a car as a design reference before, so finding a way to interpret something so dynamic into static form was a completely new challenge.”
The collection features three bespoke pieces: the Rehn lounge chair, the Matter coffee table and the Matter tray. Each one shares the same design philosophy as the A6 Avant e-tron, translating the esteemed German carmaker’s refined language into furniture form.
The Rehn lounge chair expresses elegance in motion, its silhouette capturing the gentle ridges and contours reminiscent of the vehicle’s bodywork. The Matter coffee table continues the dialogue between strength and fluidity, pairing a softly contoured marble tabletop with polished stainless-steel plinth legs. Completing the trio, the Matter tray distils this language into an everyday object, a refined resting place for essentials, meticulously milled from aluminium.
“Texture and finish were central to the story. Each material brought a different kind of challenge and reward.”
“Texture and finish were central to the story,” explains Webber. “Each material brought a different kind of challenge and reward. Still, ultimately, it was about balance and using just two or three materials per piece to let the form speak without distraction. It encouraged me to experiment more with metal, with reflective finishes and sculptural geometries. I wanted to explore precision and structure with this range as a nod to Audi’s engineering while still maintaining warmth and usability.”
This exploration of texture and materiality is evident throughout the collection – in the interplay between polished alloy, marble and soft leather; the contrast between technical exterior and tactile interior; and the use of advanced techniques such as CNC-milling and mirror-polishing stainless steel.
A celebration of cross-disciplinary creativity, the collaboration represents how two worlds, united by a shared design ethos, can push boundaries and inspire new forms of expression. “Audi’s evolution into electric doesn’t come at the expense of design integrity – if anything, it’s enhanced it,” says the designer. “The company has embraced the possibilities of new technology while retaining the same emotional and human quality that defines its cars.”
