Ballenberg is a Swiss open-air museum. It gathers over a hundred houses and the living world of
the rural population from the 14th to the 19th century. Architecture furnishings and tools
were always committed in their design and execution to the needs and necessities of everyday
life and solutions were found genuinely with the available means. Edited by Rolf Fehlbaum
entrepreneur and long-time driving force behind Vitra the publication is an invitation to
discover and explore the world of things with different eyes. It compiles observations and
discoveries by designers Jasper Morrison David Saik and architect Tsuyoshi Tane. They share a
fascination with the simple the practical and the functionally beautiful. Traces of wear and
tear testify to long-lasting utility and economic common sense. The publication is also an
encouragement to designers and consumers alike to resist trends and fads and to critically
evaluate the objects of everyday use in terms of utility and aesthetics.
