Suprematist Bureau by Maxim Kashin Architects

Designed by Maxim Kashin Architects, the Suprematist Bureau is a one-off furniture prototype developed in collaboration with Hettich, reinterpreting the principles of Russian Suprematism through contemporary fittings and spatial movement. Conceived not merely as storage, the project functions as a sculptural object that explores how geometry, motion, and concealed technology can redefine the role of furniture within interior space.

Created as a demonstrative piece for Hettich’s advanced hardware systems, the Suprematist Bureau reflects Maxim Kashin Architects’ ongoing exploration of conceptual interiors, where design operates simultaneously as functional infrastructure and artistic statement. The project bridges historical avant-garde ideology with present-day manufacturing precision, positioning furniture as an active spatial element rather than a static object.

Suprematism as Spatial Language

The conceptual foundation of the Suprematist Bureau is rooted in Suprematism, a movement that sought to express pure artistic feeling through elementary geometric forms. For this project, abstract geometry is not treated as visual decoration, but as a spatial system that governs volume, proportion, and movement.

Influenced by the work of Kazimir Malevich, whose Suprematist ideas evolved from two-dimensional compositions into three-dimensional “architectons,” the bureau extends this legacy into furniture design. The result is an object that translates avant-garde ideology into a tangible, inhabitable scale suitable for contemporary interiors.

Movement, Transformation, and Function

Unlike conventional cabinetry, the Suprematist Bureau is defined by kinetic transformation. The design is structured around a series of moving volumes that shift and rotate, allowing the object to continuously change its configuration. Each movement reveals a new spatial composition while maintaining functional clarity.

This dynamic behavior is made possible through Hettich’s precision fittings, which enable drawers and panels to pivot, rotate, and extend smoothly. Rather than drawing attention to the mechanisms themselves, the technology remains visually concealed, allowing movement to feel intuitive and effortless.

Materiality and Hidden Technology

The external structure of the bureau is finished in walnut veneer, offering a restrained, tactile surface that contrasts with the internal chromatic accents. Select drawers are coated in vivid red, referencing the radical visual language of early Russian avant-garde art.

Integrated lighting within several compartments enhances both usability and spatial depth, subtly emphasizing the object’s internal geometry. Despite the complexity of its motion, the fittings remain invisible, reinforcing the idea that advanced technology should support design rather than dominate it.

A Prototype with Cultural Intent

Produced as a one-of-a-kind promotional object, the Suprematist Bureau has been exhibited across Russia and is planned for future display within Hettich’s museum in Germany. Beyond its role as a demonstrator, the project serves as a conceptual reference for future furniture design, illustrating how ideological narratives can coexist with industrial production.

Through this collaboration, Maxim Kashin Architects and Hettich present furniture as a medium capable of conveying cultural memory, spatial experimentation, and functional innovation in equal measure.