01 The story
From Sketch to Table
Lago reduces the form to soft, flowing lines and wave-like curves. The sculpted transitions give the pattern a light appearance while retaining a distinct, sensuous character.
02 The details
The Details
Soft, flowing lines and wave-like curves create a light and sculptural form.
Claus Harttung
Claus Harttung’s Lago for Robbe & Berking begins with one of the most elemental forms of movement: water. Rather than translating that inspiration into decoration, Harttung allows it to shape the cutlery itself. The handles move in softly flowing lines, while gentle, wave-like curves give each piece a subtle sense of motion. The result is a collection that feels fluid without becoming expressive for its own sake — controlled, reduced and quietly sculptural. This balance between movement and restraint is central to Lago. Its forms are concentrated and uncomplicated, yet the changing contours prevent the pieces from ever appearing static. Light travels differently across each curve, giving the polished stainless steel a character that shifts as the cutlery is held, placed and used. At the table, Lago introduces a distinctly maritime sensibility without relying on literal references. The connection to water is found instead in rhythm, surface and silhouette. There is softness in the transition from handle to functional form, and a visual lightness that allows the collection to sit naturally within both formal and contemporary settings. Through Lago, Harttung demonstrates how a simple natural reference can become a complete design language — not by illustrating water, but by capturing something of its continuous movement.
A line shaped by water never truly stands still.
Claus Harttung
Questions about Robbe & Berking Lago — 30 Pieces
What happens when the rhythm of dinner slows down?
That is where the 30-piece Lago set becomes especially interesting. Alongside six complete place settings, the additional cake forks allow the collection’s flowing lines to continue into dessert, coffee and the quieter final part of the meal. The table does not visually reset after the main course — it simply changes pace.
Why do six small cake forks matter in a collection inspired by water?
Because Lago is built around continuity. The cake forks repeat the same soft curves and fluid transitions at a smaller scale, carrying the design language into the final course. Like smaller ripples after a larger movement, they keep the visual rhythm of the table alive.
Can the smallest pieces reveal the strongest design idea?
Sometimes they can. On Lago’s smaller pieces, there is less surface and less visual weight, so the relationship between curve, proportion and transition becomes especially clear. The design has nowhere to hide — and that makes the collection’s fluid character easier to see.
Why does Lago feel particularly suited to long dinners?
Because nothing in the collection feels abrupt. The forms are soft, the transitions are continuous and the overall expression is calm. That character works naturally with a meal that unfolds gradually from dinner to dessert, coffee and conversation, where the atmosphere matters as much as the individual course.
What is the difference between ending a meal and letting it drift on?
Often, it is the small rituals after the main course. Cake, coffee and another half hour at the table can change the mood completely. With the 30-piece Lago set, the same design remains present through that transition, allowing the table to feel connected from the first course to the last.