Secondary abstract: |
The Marles factory was founded in 1960, when Tovarna pohištva Maribor and Oprema, a Maribor veneered furniture company, were added to Lesno industrijsko podjetje Maribor with a political decree. In Styria, wood production was well developed, where the Drava also played a significant role, as it enabled the development of wood trade as early as the 18th century. Despite the strong tradition and traditional processes of designing wooden products, the market has changed and there have been major changes in the design of kitchen furniture. In Slovenia, the Marles Factory played a substantial role in introducing innovations in kitchen furniture. With the construction of a modern factory for the production of Swedish kitchens in 1965, it outlined the direction in which kitchen design would develop in Slovenia. The designers in Marles also played an essential role, with Biala Leban, Irena Kajnič and Anton Šegula standing out. They have designed some of the most famous Marles kitchens, which have also received quite a few international awards. We highlight the Orchid, Maxima and Petunia kitchens. In our master's thesis, we also conducted seventeen interviews with users of Marles kitchens, where their oldest kitchen is Maksima from 1969 and the newest Vita from 2001. Despite the extensive role of the Marles Factory, not only in terms of kitchen furniture design, but also in terms of identity and social security of the population, Marles, with poor leadership, could not cope with the economic crisis of the 1970s and 1980s. In 1990, they declared bankruptcy. Production continued, but fewer kitchen elements were produced each year. In collaboration with various companies, Marles has produced kitchens under the Marles brand to this day. Nowadays, Marles is known for its prefabricated houses. |