Organized biennially by the Design Center of the Philippines, the Good Design Award Philippines (GDA) champions a distinctly Filipino approach to design rooted in malasakit (caring). It posits that good design goes beyond balancing form, function, and innovation—it creates meaningful solutions that respond to society’s most pressing challenges. The awards also advances the United Nations […]
Edwin Uy Atelier Brings Swiss Brand Röthlisberger to the Philippines
Filipino architect and designer Edwin Uy opened a new atelier in Makati City, displaying and selling products from the Swiss company Röthlisberger. The first distributor of the brand in Southeast Asia, its uncommon mix of minimalist residential design and easy, no-frills construction makes it a singular addition to the Philippine market today.
The Röthlisberger company was originally founded in 1928 as a fit-out construction company. Their cutting-edge offerings have evolved over the century, and starting from 1977, they launched the Röthlisberger Kollektion, a series of designer furniture that they continue on today. This company remains family-owned, already in the fourth generation of Röthlisbergers taking the helm of the company.
Röthlisberger and Swiss Design in the Country
Edwin Uy first discovered the company after he noticed a piece of furniture in his husband’s house: the Schubladenstapel. Translating to “stack of drawers,” the piece is exactly that: seven drawers of varying sizes, each representing a day of the week,and slightly askew from the other.
“The piece was outstanding in design and precision,” Uy said. “The level of craftsmanship in wood was very high. The pandemic came in 2020 as we all know… and I was stuck in Switzerland at that time. As I was looking at the same piece over and over again, I then thought, ‘since I have this old house which I recently acquired, I thought it would be nice to bring this brand to the Philippines.’”
The architect found a kindred spirit in company owner Jan Röthlisberger, discovering a shared philosophy rooted in design and craftsmanship. They inked a deal that allowed Uy to be the first distributor of their products in Southeast Asia.
“Being an architect, I have seen and am familiar with what the Philippines has to offer, I knew that their collection is something we have not seen,” he elaborated. “I found it a perfect furniture brand to represent and share the Swiss design I have appreciated for a number of years.”
The Kollektion at Hand
The atelier at Makati, a small two-storey house, is the perfect venue to present the modestly-sized furniture pieces. It does not take up too much space, and many of the pieces are built to be multifunctional; the Bank Plus, for example, is a bench that can be modified to be used as a table.
For the Röthlisberger Kollektion, an interesting aspect of its design is its minimal use of connecting fasteners like nails, screws, and bolts. Rather, a lot of their furniture is designed to have the different parts interlock together. Pieces like the Takushi table are easy to assemble and sturdy without needing any specific toolset or carpentry experience to put it together.
One of the outcomes of this feature is that the collection looks sleek and cohesive, with little to no metal parts impeding how the furniture looks. The minimalist design also helps with the cohesion, giving pieces a tonal connectedness.
Overall, these are an incredible feat of Swiss construction, both with its functional composition and its unique yet unified aesthetic that allows it to blend in the background or stand out in a place—depending on what an owner wants for it. Edwin Uy said that he was attracted to the efficiency and practicality that these pieces embodied.
“What I like most from the Rö collection is it is small unlike most major European designer brands which carry a huge line up of pieces,” Uy shared. “The designs are timeless of which most of their collection still dates back to the 1970s and still works to this very day.”
Practicality and Functionality
In this collection of furniture pieces, Edwin Uy found a sense of design authenticity that he feels Filipinos can learn from. The methodology found in Röthlisberger, from its ability to produce classic, no-frills designs to its ability to find provocative solutions to production problems, should be something that Filipinos should seek to emulate in their own designs.
“They are good at it and I hope designers also see this as an inspiration of sorts with their respective practices and applications in design,” Uy said. “Pure pieces of wood furniture that do not try to complicate things; honesty of materials and allowing the properties of such materials shine on its own.
“The philosophies of design, whether in furniture design or architecture [or] interior design, it all remains the same,” he continued. “Applications differ between scale but at the end of the day, the roots of design are where all are connected.”
Photos by Ed Simon.
Related reading: Architect Edwin Uy Reshapes Kitchen Spaces with Boffi
Frequently Asked Questions
The opening of Edwin Uy’s atelier in Makati City marks a milestone as the first official distributor of the Swiss brand Röthlisberger in Southeast Asia. This partnership introduces a unique blend of minimalist Swiss residential design and high-precision wooden craftsmanship to the Philippine market. Architect Edwin Uy aims to share a design philosophy centered on efficiency and timelessness, providing local collectors with access to world-class furniture previously unavailable in the region.
Röthlisberger is distinguished by its “no-frills” construction and a minimalist aesthetic that emphasizes the natural properties of wood. A defining technical feature is the minimal use of metal fasteners like nails or screws; many pieces, such as the Takushi table, utilize interlocking parts for easy assembly. This approach results in a sleek, cohesive look where the honesty of the materials shines, allowing the furniture to function as both a practical tool and a sculptural art piece.
The Schubladenstapel, which translates to “stack of drawers,” is an iconic piece that inspired Edwin Uy to bring the brand to the Philippines. Designed with seven drawers of varying sizes representing each day of the week, the piece is intentionally arranged slightly askew to showcase Swiss precision and avant-garde design. It serves as a prime example of the Röthlisberger Kollektion’s ability to turn a functional storage unit into an outstanding work of artisanal craftsmanship.
Yes, the collection is specifically curated for practicality and versatility, making it ideal for the modestly-sized residential spaces often found in urban areas like Makati. Many products are designed to be multifunctional; for instance, the Bank Plus can be easily modified to serve as either a bench or a table. Because the brand focuses on a small, timeless lineup rather than a massive catalog, each piece is engineered to be space-efficient without sacrificing style or structural integrity.
Edwin Uy believes that Filipino designers can draw inspiration from Röthlisberger’s commitment to design authenticity and the “honesty of materials.” The brand’s methodology proves that provocative solutions to production problems do not require over-complicating a piece. By emulating this focus on pure wood construction and functional simplicity, local artisans can find new ways to connect the roots of traditional craftsmanship with contemporary, timeless applications in architecture and interior design.
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