„Space – the final frontier.“ When you watched television in the seventies, you may know the famous intro to ‘Star Trek’ (original 1966-69). The science fiction trend was also based on the real „race to space“: in 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first human to set foot on the moon. At the same time, the „space age“ also became extremely popular in design.

In the midst of this enthusiasm for space travel, new materials and new technologies, a tableware manufacturer placed its first furnishing collection: Rosenthal. The Sunball was developed by sculptor Günter Ferdinand Ris (who had already developed light objects for Rosenthal’s corporate headquarters at Schloss Erkersreuth) together with architect Herbert Selldorf.

With lighting and an integrated stereo system, it became futuristic outdoor furniture – the „sun globe for comfortable outdoor living cost around 4000 D-Mark, not even 50 units were sold“. Today there is a Sunball exhibited in Munich’s Pinakothek der Moderne – and the few remaining copies are traded at auctions at high prices. A real „cocooning“ piece of furniture.