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 Cutlery Set — 75 Pieces
What happens when a lake is translated into 75 pieces of cutlery?
Lago’s design becomes most expressive when it is repeated across a complete table. The softly flowing profiles and wave-like transitions begin to form a rhythm from place to place, almost like ripples moving across a surface. What appears subtle in a single fork or spoon becomes a much larger visual idea when the entire table is set.
Why does Lago become more convincing the larger the table gets?
Because its identity is built around continuity. The curved lines repeat across knives, forks, spoons and serving pieces, creating a sense of movement rather than static symmetry. Across a large setting, the eye begins to read the cutlery as one composition instead of seventy-five separate objects.
Can a dining table have the same visual rhythm as water?
That is exactly the effect Lago explores. Plates and glassware establish the fixed geometry of the table, while the cutlery introduces softer lines around them. The result is a composition where straight edges and circular forms are interrupted by gentle curves, giving the table a quieter sense of movement.
Why did Robbe & Berking imagine Lago on the deck of a yacht?
Lago’s maritime character is present without relying on obvious nautical symbols. Its flowing forms, polished steel and sense of lightness feel naturally connected to water and coastal living. That makes the collection equally convincing at a formal dining table, beside the sea or on board a yacht.
What detail only becomes visible when Lago is seen as a complete collection?
The relationship between the pieces. At first, the individual curves attract attention. Once the collection is laid out across a full table, it becomes clear that the shapes are designed to speak to one another. The repeated transitions create a continuous visual language — one that makes the whole setting feel calmer, softer and more coherent.