Robert Megel is a designer based in Dresden whose work sits at the intersection of architecture, furniture and product design. He studied architecture at the Technical University of Dresden and at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, and worked for Herzog & de Meuron in Basel and for Rohdecan Architekten in Dresden. Today he concentrates on furniture collections and objects of his own, designed in close dialogue with craft and material.
He came to cork through his work at Herzog & de Meuron. His own studies began with yoga blocks and the question of whether something could be inserted into cork with a force fit, like an inverted cork, and they laid the foundation for 'Cork X', which he has kept developing since 2023. The collection pairs Portuguese natural cork with aluminium. The aluminium parts are laser-cut by a manufacturer, and Megel satin-finishes them by hand; the cork he works himself, in his workshop in Dresden, like wood in a woodworking shop. Most pieces are made to order. Besides furniture, 'Cork X' includes candle holders, a table lamp and, most recently, a yoga block. His side table 'String 01' is made of three interlocking aluminium sheets held together by a brightly coloured rope.
In 2025 his 'Cork X' stool was shown in Copenhagen during 3daysofdesign, in Adorno's exhibition Persona, and in Dresden in Bitte nicht setzen!, a pop-up exhibition at the Japanisches Palais held with the Kunstgewerbemuseum of the Dresden State Art Collections. 'Cork X' has also been featured on Leibal.
On spazio: the bench, the side table and the stool from 'Cork X'.
