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 Serving Set
What happens when Lago leaves the place setting and starts to move?
The serving pieces turn Lago’s design idea into action. A salad is lifted, sauce is poured, meat is served and dessert is divided. The collection’s flowing curves are no longer just something to look at — they become part of the movement between the centre of the table and each guest.
Why does a serving spoon reveal more of Lago than a dinner spoon?
Scale makes the design easier to read. On the larger serving pieces, the soft transitions and gently undulating profile have more space to unfold. The result feels almost sculptural, making the inspiration from water more visible than on the smaller place-setting pieces.
Can the act of serving become part of the design of the table?
Yes. A serving piece is one of the few objects that moves repeatedly through the entire table setting. In Lago, that movement feels especially natural because the collection itself is built around continuity and flow. The act of serving becomes part of the visual rhythm rather than a pause in it.
Which pieces carry Lago from the first course to the last?
The 10-piece serving set brings together the key pieces used for shared service — for meat, salad, sauces, side dishes, dessert and coffee. Together they extend Lago beyond the individual place setting and into the full choreography of the meal.
Why is Lago at its most literal when the food starts moving?
Because the collection was inspired by water, and water is defined by movement. In the serving pieces, that idea becomes almost physical: the curved forms travel across the table, carrying food from one place to another. Lago’s design is no longer only a visual reference to flow — it becomes part of the flow itself.