«Siamesischer Drilling» in der Ausstellung «Vom Stuhl zum Raum» im Widder Hotel

Zurich Design Weeks 2026

From the chair to the room

A chair that is no longer one. A rug that pretends to be steps. A floor that itself becomes a drawing. During Zurich Design Weeks 2026, works spanning several decades of Swiss design came together in a shared space at the Widder Hotel for a few days.
In the fireplace room of the Widder Hotel, Ruckstuhl and teo jakob presented “From Chair to Space.” Based on a concept by Christian Herren, the focused presentation centered on the design work of Trix and Robert Haussmann.
At its heart were three works from different phases of their careers: the “Siamese Triplet” from 1967, Robert Haussmann’s RH-304 armchairs, and “Atlantis Steps,” a rug design for Zurich’s Atlantis Hotel from 1986 that Ruckstuhl reissued together with EDITION-H.

The works did not stand isolated in the room. They engaged with Tilla Theus’s architecture, the fireplace room’s stone inlay floor, and the history of the Widder Hotel itself. For a few days, furniture, rug, art, and architecture formed a multifaceted dialogue.
«Siamesischer Drilling» von Trix und Robert Haussmann aus dem Jahr 1967
The “Siamese Triplet” by Trix and Robert Haussmann, 1967. Loan from the Teo Jakob Art Collection Foundation.

A chair that is no longer one

In 1967, Trix and Robert Haussmann interlaced three classic Thonet chairs to create the “Siamese Triplet”. The object was created for the Werkbund “Chair Fun” campaign “Chair Fun” and became a pop-influenced furniture parody - an ironic counter-design to the functionalist “Good shape”.

An everyday object became a sculpture that consciously refused to perform its actual function.

Theodor “Teo” Jakob acquired the “Siamese Triplet” for his collection after the campaign. Today, the object is housed in the Teo Jakob Art Collection Foundation.

This early work reveals what would repeatedly shape the Haussmanns’ joint practice: playing with conventions, perception, and expectations.

An illusion made of wool

Almost twenty years later, Trix and Robert Haussmann worked on a different scale.

In 1986, they redesigned the reception area of Zurich's Hotel Atlantis, where reality and illusion intermingled. One of these designs is «Atlantis Steps».

Light and dark gradations create the impression of steps and spatial depth, even though the surface remains completely flat. Forty years later, Ruckstuhl and EDITION-H reissued the design.

The optical concept remained unchanged. The material was translated into the present.

The carpet's pile consists today of 60 percent recycled wool. The yarn developed by Otex is made from wool textiles that are no longer worn and processed into a new, high-quality yarn.

In the fireplace room, «Atlantis Steps» had a special counterpart. The stone inlay floor was developed by Tilla Theus following the lines of a drawing for her father. During the exhibition, two floor images were superimposed: the Haussmanns' optical illusion and Tilla Theus's stone drawing.

Between them stood three red RH-304 armchairs. Robert Haussmann designed the model in 1957/58 for the «Salle Suisse» of UNESCO in Paris. Tilla Theus later chose a red special edition for the Widder Hotel. The examples on display come from the original hotel inventory.

Siamesischer Drilling» von Trix und Robert Haussmann aus dem Jahr 1967 und Teppich «Atlantis Steps» von Trix und Robert Haussmann in der Ausstellung «vom Stiuhl zum Raum» von teo jakob und Ruckstuhl während Zurich Design Weeks 2026 im Widder Hotel Zürich

A house as part of the exhibition

That “From Chair to Room” was shown at the Widder Hotel was about more than the choice of exhibition venue.

During the renovation, Tilla Theus combined nine historic townhouses into a multilayered ensemble in which historic building fabric, new materials, art, and design deliberately stand side by side. This approach was also palpable in the fireplace room.

The stone floor, the historic RH-304 armchairs, and the house’s art did not form a neutral backdrop but became part of the presentation themselves. This also includes a work by Andy Warhol, which exemplifies the close connection between art, architecture, and interiors at the Widder.

The result was a constellation in which different eras and disciplines overlapped: Haussmann met Theus, furniture met rug, design met art.

That was precisely the quality of this small exhibition.

Just a few steps away, the Carpet Design Competition 2026 turned attention to the rug in the present. In the lobby of the Widder Hotel, 16 selected designs from more than 70 submissions were on view.

The competition initiated by the STF Swiss Textile Technical College and Ruckstuhl used high-quality wool yarns from surplus stock and small production runs. Three award-winning designs were produced by Ruckstuhl in Langenthal as one-of-a-kind rugs on the tufting robot.

This brought two generations of design work together at the Widder: a historic design work being reinterpreted and further developed, and young perspectives creating new forms from existing material.

«Siamesischer Drilling» in der Ausstellung «Vom Stuhl zum Raum» im Widder Hotel
Siamesischer Drilling» von Trix und Robert Haussmann aus dem Jahr 1967 und Teppich «Atlantis Steps» von Trix und Robert Haussmann in der Ausstellung «vom Stiuhl zum Raum» von teo jakob und Ruckstuhl während Zurich Design Weeks 2026 im Widder Hotel Zürich
«Siamesischer Drilling» in der Ausstellung «Vom Stuhl zum Raum» im Widder Hotel vor Warhol's «Bighorn Ram»
«Siamesischer Drilling» von Trix und Robert Haussmann aus dem Jahr 1967
Rote RH-304-Sessel von Robert Haussmann im Widder Hotel
Widder HOtel in Zürich - Aussenaufnahme
Eingang Widder Hotel Zürich

That these encounters were possible for several days is thanks to the many people involved.

Our special thanks go to Christian Herren for the exhibition concept and curatorial support for “From Chair to Space”, the Teo Jakob Art Collection Foundation for lending the “Siamese Triplet”, and Tilla Theus for lending the historic RH-304 chairs.

We would like to thank the Widder Hotel for its generous hospitality and for providing a setting that was far more than a backdrop. The architecture, history and art of the hotel itself became part of the exhibition.

We would also like to thank teo jakob, the STF Swiss Textile & Fashion School, the Zurich Design Weeks and everyone involved who contributed to these days with their knowledge, craftsmanship, organisation and personal commitment.

And, of course, all the visitors who discovered both exhibitions.

The story does not end with the conclusion of Zurich Design Weeks.

On 14 November 2026 “Haussmann Studiolo” opens at the Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur. The exhibition continues to explore the shared design work of Trix and Robert Haussmann - with furniture, designs and spatial works, as well as works from the Teo Jakob Art Collection Foundation and carpets from the new TRIX & ROBERT HAUSSMANN COLLECTION by Ruckstuhl.

For Trix Haussmann, the exhibition is also a return to Chur, where she was born and raised in 1933.

Haussmann Studiolo
Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur
14 November 2026 - 14 March 2027

Exhibition photos: Pierre Kellenberger
Hotel Widder photos: courtesy of the photographer
STF Carpet Competition photos: courtesy of the photographer

29.09.2026
Inspiration Perspectives

Designer

Haussmann

Produkte

Atlantis Atlantis
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