EOOS, namely Martin Bergmann, Gernot Bohmann and Harald Gründl, take their name from one of the four horses pulling the chariot of the sun god Helios in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. They describe their approach as “poetic analysis”. A tool they use to explore the deeper meaning of images, rituals and myths as a basis for new designs. Through examining the culture of human rituals, EOOS question the meaning and function of design and provide their own answers. The work of the team has so far been recognized by more than 130 design prizes, including the Compasso d'Oro.

The three Austrian designers met while studying together at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. Today they are still based in the city, where they create designs destined for projects from Milan to Toronto, New York to Herrenberg.

Walter Knoll and EOOS have now been working together for more than 20 years. It all began in 1997 with a draft design for the Jason sofa, which is still part of the current Walter Knoll Collection, and a shared vision: to create living spaces.

The ongoing and close partnership has resulted in around 100 further products and numerous awards to date. Each design is created with a focus on people, and demands of modern life and work. The most recent result of this extremely productive and longstanding collaboration: the innovative shell chair Sheru.

20 years is a long relationship, what does EOOS see as the key to its success?

“The biggest advantage is that we are working together on several projects at the same time. Some of them are about to go into production, others are in the early stages of development, while still others are simply concepts. This means that we are always on the move, and never stand still."