Spring 2019

88 Mar19267 Taking Inspiration fromAntiquity to Reinvent Modernity Established in 2007 by German designer Oliver Kessler, Oliver Kessler Design is focused on design development and project management for various international companies. Of particular note is Oliver’s signature swinging punkah-style ceiling fans, which subsequently resulted in the firm being recognised in LUXlife’s 2019 Designer Awards as the ‘Most Innovative Swinging Fan Designers’ in Western Europe. We spoke with Oliver to find out more about his design inspirations. The design sector is driven through innovation and creativity. Sometimes that innovation finds its roots in the newest technological developments, or in the latest of trends. After all, inspiration can come from anywhere. Other times, designers look to the past, and across continents to help nurture that creative spark. Oliver Kessler is a designer who belongs very much in the latter group. His unique punkah-style fans are reminiscent of those that were used in antiquity, but given a new, thoroughly modernist sheen. Oliver takes a moment to explain further: “The development of the first punkah-style ceiling fans began when I first experienced the calming movement and chilling air ventilation of such fans on one of my trips to Singapore. A punkah is the first man-made ventilation device and was originally cut from a palmyra leaf, though it was later manufactured mainly from fabric, wood or bird feathers. For generations, the punkah was a symbol of wealth and luxury, and could be found in the palaces of Egyptian Pharaohs and Indian Maharajas.” Style Yet, for Oliver, it wasn’t just a case of replicating this design in the modern day. He needed to improve upon it and refine it for today’s technology-driven, eco-friendly sensibilities. “Driven by the idea to create the most luxurious swinging ceiling fans, it took more than eight years of development until ‘The Solitaire Punkah’ ceiling fans were ready for market. It is equipped with an electric stepper motor, which is unprecedented in any ceiling fan. This technology, usually incorporated in robots, is very silent and allows the fan to run on a mere 15W average energy consumption and an automatic safety stop.” “All punkah fans of Oliver Kessler Design share the same elegant, slow pendulum blade movement that provides a gentle natural breeze and all of them are manufactured in small batch in Germany.” The Solitaire Punkah comes in a variety of different styles, with options for fire-retardant fabric, and genuine Peacock or Ostrich feathers. Ultimately, the success of ‘The Solitaire Punkah’ led to a second product called ‘The Sensu Punkah’, which has been available since the beginning of this year. “It shares a similar power train and adds a remote control, a sleep timer and the possibility to add an LED halo to illuminate the ceiling. Both fans allow to synchronize the blade movement of up to 12 punkah fans in larger areas.” All in all, the future of Oliver Kessler Design lies in constant improvement, as he seeks to create new products that are original, luxurious and highly functional. Company: Oliver Kessler Design GmbH Address: Turfstr. 11, Munich, 81929, Germany Website: https://www.oliverkesslerdesign.com/ Telephone: +49 89 54 88 78 18