Hall Haus is a visionary collective founded in 2020 by Abdoulaye Niang, Sammy Bernoussi, Teddy Sanches, and Zakari Boukhari. Inspired by the pioneering spirit of Bauhaus and the transformative energy of Hip Hop culture, Hall Haus redefines the boundaries of design, aiming to democratize the discipline and address pressing social and environmental challenges. In this exclusive interview, delve into the creative process, multicultural influences, and commitment to delivering unforgettable user experiences that define the essence of Hall Haus.
1. Can you share the inspiration and vision behind founding Hall Haus in 2020? How did the diverse backgrounds of Abdoulaye Niang, Sammy Bernoussi, Teddy Sanches, and Zakari Boukhari contribute to the unique creative approach that defines Hall Haus?
In creating Hall Haus, we wanted above all to democratize the discipline of design to as many people as possible, to those who don’t have access to it, and also to change the codes of this discipline so that the messages and problems solved by it are understood by everyone. But we also aim to help solve the social and environmental problems of today and tomorrow.
Two inspirations led us to create Hall Haus, the first the Bauhaus and the second Hip Hop culture, hence our name: Hall Haus.
I think the fact that we have 4 founding entities means we can push our projects further, and help each other, but we also need to understand each other, and the diversity of our backgrounds gives us a better understanding of the world around us.
2. Hall Haus focuses on objects, experiences, and transmission in its design philosophy. Could you elaborate on how these three core areas of focus shape your creative process? How do you ensure that your designs are not just aesthetically pleasing but also serve a practical purpose?
Having established our field of action along these 3 axes, for us the creative process is always the same, and I can sum it up in 3 words: ideation, development and production. Each project starts as an object, then we scale it up to become an experience, and the transmission is how we can leave an indefinite trace of this creation.
In addition to being an artistic discipline, design is also an industrial discipline, so it has to serve a precise function and need.
3. The name ‘Hall Haus’ suggests a connection between a multicultural environment (hall) and design expertise (haus). How does your multicultural background influence the design choices and concepts you bring to the table? Can you provide examples of projects where this intersection is particularly evident?
When we create, our biggest inspiration is the world around us, our environment, and in our generation and our environment we’ve been rocked by Hip Hop culture, so our inspirations come a lot from music, fashion, architecture, and art in general.
I think our curry mango chair is the perfect example, inspired by Marcel Bruer’s B3 armchair representing the Bauhaus philosophy, and also the decathlon folding camping chair, a symbol of French Hip Hop culture.
4. Your goal is to deliver an unforgettable experience to the user. How do you approach designing for a memorable user experience? Are there specific principles or strategies you consistently apply to achieve this objective in your projects?
No particular strategy, but when we want to create a physical or digital experience, we try to stimulate the 5 human senses: hearing, smell, touch, taste and sight. So that’s why we love working with music producers, fragrance designers, different material textures and so on.
5. Hall Haus maintains a presence on social media platforms. How has the digital space contributed to the growth and visibility of your design organization? In what ways do each of you, individually, use your social media handles(@hall.haus /@sammy_bernoussi / @tedicaps / @zakintheair) to showcase your design work and connect with your audience?
We’ve grown up in the digital world, so we take pleasure in telling our story and the story of our objects through these tools. I think that everyone in the collective has their own way of telling our story, which is more interesting.