WertelOberfell is a design studio based in Berlin and Munich

WertelOberfell was founded in 2007 by Gernot Oberfell (1975) and Jan Wertel (1976). Both studied Industrial Design in Stuttgart at the State Academy of Arts, a school which is based on the principles of the Ulmer Schule and the Bauhaus.

Their work ranges from furniture, lighting and industrial products to experimental research pieces for companies such as Braun, Neff, Philips, Panasonic, Sony, Yamagiwa, Bulthaup, MGX by Materialise, Iker, Nowystyl, DuPont Corian and others.

Some of their work has been exhibited in several museums and exhibitions around the world and is part of the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and others..

Gernot and Jan share a strong interest in new technologies and manufacturing processes, and at an early stage in their careers discovered the possibilities of computer aided design. Software is not just used as an everyday tool, but becomes through experimentation a source of inspiration, helping to discover new and exciting form languages. Their work combines these experiments with the logic and beauty of organic forms and the reality of product design: the right use of materials, production processes and ergonomics.

Their work has been widely published in numerous magazines, books and design blogs.

Team

We strongly believe in collaboration and team spirit

Jan Wertel
Gernot Oberfell
Anna Röder
Maximilian Krenn
Cheng-Yo Lee
Berrak Özbas
Taminee Schönfelder

Our clients

We are proud of the numerous clients we are working for

Awards

Eurobike Award 2021 – Category Accessories
2021 – AURA 100

German Design Award 2020
2020 – Play & Work

Iconic Award for Interior Innovation – Category Office and Workplace
2020 – Play & Work

Design Intelligence Award on Design Shining – Shortlisted on Top10
2018 – Atomic Light

Focus Open – Special Mention
2017 – Levitate

Kitchen Innovation of the Year
2017 – Creative Extractor Hood

CES Innovation Awards – Best of Innovation
Midem Award

2017 & 2015 – Basslet

3D Pioneers Challenge – Special Mention
2016 – Atomic Light

Iconic Award for Interior Innovation
2016 – Play & Work

Red Dot Award for Office Design
2016 – Play & Work

Must Have Award by Lodz Design Festival
2014 – Mannequin Collection

Product of the Year in Office Category by Meble Plus
Diamond of the Furniture Industry in Office category

2011 – eRange

Top Design Award
2010 – Pixel

Elle Decoration Gold Award for Best Furniture
2007 – Maple Collection

Selection of publications

Design Report
05/2017

CAD and Rapid Prototyping for Product Design
04/2014

Printing Things – Visions and Essentials for 3D Printing
03/2014

MAD – OUT OF HAND – Materializing the Postdigital
02/2014

Materia Goes3D
02/2014

Sculplexity: Sculptures of Complexity Usign 3D Printing
12/2013

Fabvolution – Development In Digital Fabrication
07/2012

Fabulous Furniture
01/2012

Soft Outfit Manual
12/2011

Lux – Lamps & Lights
10/2011

Design, Anfang des 21. Jh.
05/2011

Design Futures
03/2011

Sight and Architecture
05/2009

Twenty-first Century Design
05/2009

Objet
08/2009

Exhibitions

Participation at Dutch Design Week virtual with our ESUB-Tracks smart bicycle helmet Design concept
17-25/10/2020

Organisation and hosting of the KGM Design Talk “In Progress” about the digitalisation of design with speakers from BMW, Gillette and the V&A London, together with Dr. Claudia Banz.
17/01/2019

Design Views Vol. XI – Work In Progress” – solo exhibition at the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin, where we built a design lab on site and worked on experimental projects.
28/11/2018 – 13/01/2019

Close collaboration with Bulthaup designing new products for the 2018 Milano Furniture Fair Exhibition in San Carpoforo in Brera

Panel Light takes part in the VICIS exhibition at MCBW 2018 in Munich, Germany
03/03/2018 – 11/03/2018

From 2d to 3d by WertelOberfell at Styliamo Pop-Up showroom at, Ruffinihaus am Rindermarkt, Sendlinger Straße 1, 80331 Munich, Germany
16/11/2017 – 30/11/2017

Module.MGX take part in the exhibition Form Follows Flower at Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin
20/10/2017 – 14/01/2018

Fractal.MGX takes part at the exhibition Making | Breaking: New Arrivals at the Hewitt Cooper Museum in New York
21/05/2017 – 29/10/2017

Atomic Light takes part at the fair Rapid.Tec in Erfurt
14/06/2016 – 16/06/2016

Fractal.MGX takes part in the exhibition Making a Difference / A Difference in Making – Exploring the added value of 3d printing – at BOZAR CENTRE FOR FINE ARTS – curated by Marta Malé-Alemany
24/04/2015 – 23/06/2015

Module.MGX takes part in the exhibition Units: Design im Netz der Teile organized and curated by Ludger Sandknop at Sparda-Bank Münster
15/03/2014 – 31/05/2014

Fractal.MGX takes part in the exhibition Out of Hand: Materializing the Postdigital organized by Ronald T. Labaco and curated by Marcia Docter at the MAD Museum in New York
03/09/2013 – 06/07/2014

Clover collection is part of the exhibition designlink.pl as part of Edit by designjunction curated by Miśka Miller-Lovegrove and Anna Pietrzyk-Simone at La Pelota in Milan
10/04/2013 – 14/04/2013

Fractal.MGX takes part in the exhibition Dreidimensionale Dinge drucken curated by Marta Male-Alemany at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich
06/02/2013 – 05/05/2013

Module takes part in the exhibition Eine Frau, ein Baum, eine Kuh curated by Michael Biber & Hannes Gumpp at the the Kunstraum München
14/09/2012 – 21/10/2012

Fractal.MGX takes part in the exhibition Timecapsule – Eine Frau, ein Baum, eine Kuh Museum für Konkrete Kunst Ingolstadt curated by Micahel Biber & Hannes Gumpp
28/01/2012 – 29/02/2012

Fractal.MGX takes part in the First Beijing International Design Triennial , China
28/09/2011 – 17/10/2011

Fractal.MGX takes part in the exhibition Industrial Revolution 2.0 at the Victoria & Albert Museum during London Design Festival 2011
17/09/2011 – 29/09/2011

Fractal.MGX becomes part of the permanent collection of The Victoria & Albert Museum in London
08/2011

Cell chair takes part in the exhibition Young Creative Poland:in Production at Salone Internazionale del Mobile Fiera Milano Rho, Italy
12/04/2011 – 17/04/2011

Dragonfly.MGX and Fractal.MGX take part in the exhibition Graphic Nature at Millenium Gallery, Museums Sheffield, UK
29/01/2011 – 03/07/2011

Fractal.MGX is exibited in the show Full Printed / Imprimiendo objetos at the DHUB (Design Hub Barcelona)
16/06/2010 – 29/05/2011

Fractal.MGX becomes part of the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
07/2010

Fractal.MGX becomes part of the permanent collection of The Montreal Museum of Fine Art
09/2009

Fractal.MGX takes part in the exhibition Boys and their Toys by NOUS at LOT Gallery, in Kentucky
30/10/2009 – 08/11/2009

Fractal.MGX takes part in the exhibition 123 at Moss Gallery in New York
17/05/2009 – 27/06/2009