The traditional Czech company UNIKOV Steel makes its debut at Desingblok with the CARGO garden set
28. 9. 2023
This year, the traditional Czech company UNIKOV Steel from Bzenec is heading to the prestigious Designblok event for the first time, which takes place from 4 to 8 October, 2023. It will present the CARGO garden set by designer Jiří Jež.
UNIKOV spol. s r.o. was founded in 1992 with a simple idea: to build a Czech engineering company manufacturing affordable and, above all, high-quality metal furniture and products for the Czech, Slovakian and foreign markets. "At UNIKOV Steel, we strive to create products for inspiring and cultivated living areas. Our new products embody spirit and distinction, and are furnishings for a relaxing home," states the CEO of UNIKOV Steel, Peter Pataky.
The main product at Designblok will be the CARGO "party table" with an original concept storage space in the middle. The product was created during a casual debate among friends about summer barbecues and it came up how annoying it is to constantly go somewhere to get things – plates, cutlery, glasses and so on. So the idea of creating a storage area was born, which would not only save time, but also use the space of the table itself.
The creator of the table is designer Jiří Jež. "My goal was to create an extraordinary table with added value. The primary goal was to save customers time during summer relaxation, so I invented a special storage box that can be flexibly used for kitchen utensils and cooling drinks," says Jiří Jež, a graduate of UMPRUM.
The whole garden set is made of a steel structures that are coated with durable powder paint. The armrests, seating and table filling are solid oak timber. The CARGO product is available in a total of six colours. The table is offered in three different lengths - one, two or three metres. The chairs are fully stackable and are available with or without armrests. It is now also possible to purchase a bench as part of the set.
"One of the reasons why we have cooperated closely with Mr. Jiří Jež was to create a product that would be as practical as possible for the customer – that is why we launched the CARGO garden set. In 2023, we are celebrating 30 years on the market and we expect to expand into wider markets across to the whole EU. Besides the production of garden and interior furniture, which is the highest quality on the Czech market, throughout our history we have established significant business partnerships such as with IKEA, TAP France, VAG, MMcité, and others," adds the CEO of UNIKOV Steel, Peter Pataky.
About the designer Jiří Jež
He comes from the Silesian town of Třinec, and honours the motto, "Complicated things can have simple solutions." He graduated from the University of Decorative Arts in Industrial design under sculptor Ivan Linhart. He spent a significant amount of time in the studio of architecture and design under architect Prof. Jiří Pelcl, PhD honoris causa. At the University of Art and Design in Vienna he completed an internship under the guidance of architect Prof. Borek Šípek in the studio of industrial design.
The diversity of his work reflects the gradual expansion of his creative range from industrial design, through interior design, to corporate visual identity. He designed a tourist resort in Ghana, on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. He has designed several broadcast studios for Česká televize. His chair, "Roštěnka" can be seen in the permanent collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. A prestigious job for Česká zbrojovka was a unique opportunity for him.
He passed his rich professional experience on at the Private School of Art and Management in Prague and at the vocational Secondary Industrial School in Světlá nad Sázavou. At the moment, he works in the studio of product design at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague.
Thanks to his passion for metal chairs, he returned to work with UNIKOV Steel based in Bzenec, where he had already worked once previously. He is currently designing a new collection of metal garden furniture and furniture for balconies.
The UNIKOV Steel exposition can be found in the Superstudio in the Great Hall of Trade Fair Palace / Veletržní palác of the National Gallery Prague. Learn more in the Exhibitors Catalog and at www.unikov.cz.
