Clarity in Collaboration – nau 2021 Collection by Adam Cornish and Cult
Cult has recently announced the 2021 collection for in-house design brand nau. Contributing designer Adam Cornish explores how material, manufacturing and collaboration are embodied within his pieces – Terrace and Yuki. Designed and crafted within Melbourne, Adam’s contributions mark nau’s first outdoor offerings.
Multi-disciplinary designer Adam Cornish has been working with nau since its inaugural collection. His studio’s latest outdoor additions emerged as an organic development of his shared and respected relationship with the design brand. “We have candid, honest conversations about what is needed in the collection and what plays best to the strengths of each designer,” Adam explains. “As I have worked extensively in wire and metal products, it seemed an obvious fit for us to develop premium stainless steel outdoor collections with our local manufacturing partners.”
As the first outdoor selection offered by nau, Terrace and Yuki are bold in purpose. When thinking of how his designs move from conception to development and eventually manufacturing, Adam likes to begin with “a blank canvas”, trusting the initial imprint the design direction leaves but not letting predetermined concepts impede the process. “Refining these directions and converting them into manufacturable reality is when the work begins.” The importance of the physical is tactility of each piece is clear; it is within this space of interaction with a physical prototype that Adam hones the elegant detailing and natural expression of each material.
Due to this integral prototyping stage, Adam’s studio has long standing working relationships with both upholstery and wire forming manufacturers, exemplifying the need for Australian manufacturing and collaboration. “I think working closely with manufacturers over time develops an understanding of how each other works – a sense of harmony,” he says. “The collections are very much a collaboration between our design studio and the wealth of knowledge and manufacturing techniques of our local industry partners.” This close relationship allows for a solution-based design approach, one that has aided in the creation of custom techniques that foster an authentic process.
When planning the outdoor furniture collections, material choice becomes as important as the visual language of each piece. Adam explains needing to consider textiles, materials and coatings that resist corrosion in order to weather the Australian climate. “The palette of materials has to withstand harsh outdoor environments and still age and perform with dignity,” he says. He also balances material choice with a humble aesthetic – this informal nature has the ability to suit a range of interiors, from commercial dining to residential gardens. “I feel such a great sense of responsibility and always hope our work is adding to the space, without becoming overbearing,” he says, “simply becoming part of the ambiance and atmosphere of the surrounding environment.”
A continued theme of collaboration is present within Adam’s relationship with nau. Working with Cult’s in-house design brand, Adam reminisces that their collaboration is “like dancing to different styles of music; you still have to be yourself and move in a way that is innate to yourself, whilst finding your harmony with the song.” The desired intention behind Terrace and Yuki are also informed by Adam’s access to world-class wire forming and welding facilities. The collections are constructed from subtle gestures that evoke timeless visual expression and remain durable in purpose. “I knew I wanted a quaint timeless visual language that would be at home in varied architecture and outdoor environments,” he explains. “The unique direction and identity for each of the collections was born out of necessity – the needs of a sofa vary greatly from that of outdoor dining chairs.”
Expressed through refreshing visual forms, sleek lines and delicate curves, Adam’s work is characterised by its industrial process coupled with a contemporary twist. Terrace – a series of graphically bold outdoor chairs – speaks to hand-drawn gestures and is an ode to line form. The wire construction “aims to create a quaint, nearly transparent visual language,” Adam says. “I wanted to achieve a product that neither stands out nor is lost in its surrounding environment.” Its name references outdoor dining, suggestive in its purpose but also evocative in its visualisation. Available in five colours and in three options of a lounge chair, dining chair or bar stool, Terrace is prepared with stainless-steel wires, curving with a subtle embrace to initiate a sleek visual discourse.
On the other hand, “Yuki is all about contrast and juxtaposition,” Adam says. “The frame has a subtle inflated quality, manufactured from robust and durable stainless steel. The graphic frame construction envelops the generous slightly chubby upholstery – creating the perfect nesting experience.” Comprised of an armchair and sofa, the collection’s name is a playful nod to the Shoji screen, as well as inspired by Japanese scale and form. Available in six upholstery choices and black, white or custom frames, Yuki exists as a contrasting experience of robust and soft edges.
Suitable for residential and commercial spaces, Adam’s work continues to redefine what it means to be design curious, envisioning the longevity of products and how that then informs the ways they are made. Along with Yuki and Terrace, Adam’s studio has also designed the latest addition to the Strand Bistro range – the Strand Bistro Outdoor Table. Available in black and white frames and in four powder-coated finishes, the outdoor selections are durable and tactile, remaining honest in form and function.
Cult’s 2021 nau collection also features selected lighting and furniture pieces by Kate Stokes, Tom Fereday and Adam Goodrum. As a contemporary Australia design brand, nau provides a platform for innovative designers who channel sophisticated curiosity and bold experimentation, crafting products at home within an array of interior and exterior spaces. “One of the greatest pleasures as a designer is interacting with your work accidently in your everyday life,” Adam reflects. “We work on these projects for many years before people get to see and experience them.” Valuing refined quality, comfort and functionality, Adam’s handcrafted pieces – as well as nau’s complete curated 2021 collection – are currently available through Cult.
