Delft, Netherlands
Macaron is not just furniture; it’s a flexible place to stay.
Designed by the European Prize for Architecture Laureates Mecanoo and the Dutch manufacturer Bert Ploantagie, Macaron is a new layered modular sofa system.
Human-centred design for evolving activities, it adapts from focus to relaxation, work to social interaction.
Through modular configurations, natural materials, and expressive colours, Macaron creates a timeless design that is adaptive and can grow, change, and respond over time.
Modular, Circular, and Layered Like a Macaron
From early research to final realisation, the development of Macaron is rooted in Mecanoo’s human-centred vision and the data results of user-based activity research across various projects.
Partner and Architect Arne Lijbers and Founding Partner/Creative Director Francine Houben translated these behavioural insights into a modular sofa system that responds to actual human activity rather than static furniture needs.
By mapping user journeys, their unified design process ensures that every module is an intentional response to how people work, meet, and relax.
This approach prioritises the human dimension, ensuring Macaron responds to emotional, sensory, and social needs through a spatial logic where every module is defined by activity-related requirements.
True to its name, the modular sofa system is engineered as a functional “macaron.” This modular, circular, and layered construction is the core of the collection’s identity, offering a configuration for every taste.
To ensure future adaptability and resilience over time, the collection prioritises flexibility; this layering allows users to mix and match individual pieces to create an identity tailored to their surroundings.
By utilising a bio-based infrastructure, the system functions as an active, sustainable landscape that provides a sense of warmth and belonging, ultimately encouraging people to stay.
Rather than designing individual furniture pieces, Macaron consists of a specific set of modules that allow for various configurations and orientations. This allows users to compose “scenes”, ranging from private spaces for deep work to open settings for team collaboration, adapting the environment to the activity of the moment.
Because of this inherent modularity, Macaron is suitable for use at home, at work, in airports, at universities, or within the museum.
The partnership with Bert Plantagie was essential in refining this layered architectural concept into a tangible, high-performance product. As both producer and development partner, their expertise in high-quality craftsmanship and customisation ensured the modular sofa system could be engineered without compromising ergonomics or durability.
Through this collaboration, the modules evolved into functional carriers of space, integrating power, sustainable materiality, and technical flexibility.
Masterly in Milan
For the debut at Masterly during Milan Design Week, the historic Palazzo Giureconsulti was chosen for a deliberate functional test. The exhibition demonstrates how Macaron can elevate and activate a space by showcasing six distinct use scenarios.
These scenarios form an activity-based journey, transitioning from private, calm zones for deep focus to public areas that encourage social connection.
The installation’s bold colours, rich fabrics, and textured surfaces emphasize the expressive potential of the modules, while curved separation panels echoing the historic arches structure the space and create a dynamic dialogue between furniture and architecture.
The result is a flexible carrier of space that blurs the boundaries between activities while maintaining absolute clarity of use, proving that with the right modular infrastructure, any environment can become a meaningful place to stay.
When: From 20-26 April
Where: Palazzo Giureconsulti, Masterly – The Dutch in Milano
Designer: Bert Plantagie
Manufacturer: Mecanoo
