SIX QUICK ONES WITH MYKILOS
Daniel Klapsing is one of the founders of the in-label MYKILOS. It is one of the most exciting and outstanding design and furniture companies in Germany and besides minimalistic colorful products they also design eye-catching kitchens. Thanks to the c-virus we had to digitally meet Daniel for our lovely 6 quick ones. Enjoy!
Please define your style of work!
We are a team of designers with a certain vision of design. Our designs evolve by listening, by arguing and by developing something like logical aesthetics. This may sound weird, but each project has its story and in each story we try to develope this logical moment. Sometimes it works really well, and if it does, the design simply feels natural and effortless. Although getting there usually means a lot of effort.
Your dream property to design a kitchen for? Or maybe you already did?
I’d love to design a kitchen for a sailing boat. Every summer we spend our holidays on a 90 year old boat called "Senta", so we have some experience with cooking on a boat. We designed kitchens in many sizes, but usually smaller kitchens are more complex than bigger ones. In a sailing boat things are getting really complex as you don’t get any flat walls and you get intense movements in tiny spaces and special appliances like ovens with a cardanic suspension. So I believe this would be a very interesting topic to work on. Not to mention that food generally tastes better on a boat.
Your current tip for a nice activity in Hamburg (as a lot is closed right now)?
As our studio is based in Hafencity I spend much time there and I really like the urban feel of it. Everything is new and there are many unfinished construction sites still, so it’s empty, not many people on the streets (which feels really okay during Corona). I love walking through it, with all the water, boats, big modern architecture and the wind blowing through it. So take a walk from metro Landungsbrücken along the water, walk around Elbphilharmonie and then all the way through to one of my favorite restaurants in Hamburg Strauchs Falco. They offer take away food at the moment, so do this on a sunny day, take a blanket with you and enjoy their great food with a view on the water. Then you are really near to our studio (Shanghaiallee 3a), come by and check it out if you like! And if you have kids, you might wanna check out Spielplatz Baakenhafen, the coolest in Hamburg, but really weird because all around there are construction sites.
Your favorite app!
At the moment: "AEG wellbeing" which controls my R-X 9 vacuum cleaner robot. Just feels so modern and it’s magically clean when you come home. In general: "Shazam" as I often discover new music through it.
Your favorite building in Europe!
Le Corbusiers monastery Sainte-Marie de la Tourette from 1953. When I was still studying architecture I spent one night in there and I still remember so many details from that beautiful and brutalistic building. The way he worked with the light in there is as if you could touch it. It’s absolutely worth a visit, especially because the monks are living there and they run it as a hotel. When it’s dinner (or lunch) time they will offer you plenty of their local red wine…
Your one piece of furniture you take with you on every move?
Egon Eiermanns SE 18, the most comfortable folding chair on earth. It never gets old.
Thanks a lot Daniel, it was a real pleasure to read your answers and it showed us (once again), what a talented designer and wonderful person you are. And you definitely made us and many more long for a visit to Hamburg.
Daniel: The pleasure was all mine.