Röchling

BOROS × Röchling / 2020
Art Direction Pitch for the Anniversary Publication for Röchling
Marking two centuries of industrial history without becoming a corporate archive. Founded in 1822, Röchling is one of Germany’s most established industrial groups — a global plastics engineering company headquartered in Mannheim, operating across automotive, industrial, and medical sectors. The 200th anniversary was an opportunity not just to look back, but to frame what 200 years of material innovation actually means — and what comes next.

The publication revolves around the magnifying glass — played for both its metaphorical and physical qualities. It zooms in and out, focuses, reflects, distorts. Circular forms derived from this concept connect directly to Röchling’s brand core: three circles referencing the three roses of the family's coat of arms. Throughout, the book plays with the undervalued and often overlooked qualities of plastics — entertaining, graphic, and surprising in equal measure.

Playing with the undervalued qualities of plastics thoughout history entertaining and graphic content was created.
The historical narrative of the book is set apart distinct imagery, colour range and layout.

One essay confronts a darker chapter directly: Christian Boltanski's artwork on forced labour at Völklinger Hütte during the Nazi occupation. To convey the weight of that subject, the text is typeset anthracite on black — almost illegible — with only the small circular punctuation marks, visible in white.

The anniversary publication exists as both printed book and digital edition. The packaging — protective wrapping, seal, slipcase — gives the physical object genuine collectible value. In the digital version, the circular bubble translates the conceptual language into an interactive realm, carrying the same visual logic across both formats.

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Röchling

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