Karim Rashid has designed two new seating pieces for the Canadian manufacturer Nienkämper.

Pyramid, Karim Rashid´s newest lounge chair for Nienkämper, borrows a monumental form from ancient Egypt and stands it on its head. What´s the point? According to Rashid, an inverted pyramid reflects who he is and symbolizes his hopes for the shape of things to come. He describes himself as “an upside-down multicultural being” – someone who is “Canadian-Irish-English-Algerian-Egyptian-American, with some Italian education thrown in the mix.” In short, he´s a product of an increasingly cosmopolitan world, and as such, he believes it´s time to “turn nationalism and jingoism around and become one global paradise.”

Isola 8´s name derives from the Italian word for “island” and the number of people that this compelling design accommodates. “The inspiration for Isola was to create an oasis from the static world, an island for eight that offers a myriad of seating solutions,” says Karim Rashid. The swirling form, he adds, suggests not only an island but also the symbol for infinity.