10 Designers Reimagine Vintage USM Haller Frames

Summary

• Studio M3’s “USM Haller Re-Framed” exhibition featured 10 Norwegian designers who repurposed vintage USM Haller structures using salvaged materials.
• The project aimed to demonstrate how local design and reuse can add economic, aesthetic, and social value to designs.

Originally unveiled at Oslo’s Designer Saturday in mid-September, Studio M3‘s USM Haller Re-Framed exhibition invited 10 Norwegian designers to reimagine vintage USM Haller structures using repurposed/surplus materials.

On Instagram, Studio M3 shared its intention to demonstrate how reuse paired with local design, crafts, and production can boost “economic, aesthetic, and social value.” The concept highlights not only sustainable creation but “local value creation,” supporting a more circular economy.

The starting point for each designer was a 1980s frame, originally used for filing cabinets from the Kredittkassen Bank HQ in Majorstua, Oslo. From there, each designer was tasked with transforming the frame into a functional seating unit using found materials.

Designer Kjetil Smedal created a functioning vinyl record player station using floor tiles and wooden slabs. His yellow grid tiles comprise the bulk of his multifunctional piece, while the record storage, record player, and seat are rendered in raw wood. Elsewhere, Lloyd Achim Winter veered in a different direction, turning his bench concept into a rusted metal planter — inviting visitors to sit directly in the overgrown grass seat. In a culturally rooted interpretation, Bård Arnesen used Norwegian textiles with bold, technicolor embroideries, giving the USM frame a more traditional effect.

The show echoed the larger context of Designer Saturday 2025, which focused on the theme of “Repurpose.” As overlapping factors increase economic costs and social stakes, the need for more resourceful design thinking has come to the fore, manifesting in structural/material reuse and community-based sourcing.

“There are many reasons why we can no longer continue with the same consumption patterns as before,” said Heidi Lie, CEO of Designers’ Saturday, in an official statement.”We live in an uncertain world marked by environmental disasters, social unrest, and economic crises. Many can no longer afford to buy as they once did, and authorities are demanding new solutions,” she added.

See the gallery above for a closer look at Studio M3’s “USM Haller Re-Framed” and stay tuned to Hypebeast for the latest design insights.