Bold, imaginative, and embracing, the production of seating is the darling of innovative cutting-edge studio designers who have used groundbreaking technology to conquer new territories in aesthetics and function. Technical progress has transformed structure, paving the way for new forms of expression or object creation for a spontaneous, random configuration while designers’ research into materials to stretch (literally) the boundaries of shape with synthetics such as polyurethane has linked form to flexibility.
A season less perennial topping all annual trends, consumers with an eye to owning a collector’s item, seating becomes more than a function or a matter of taste as these examples of important, seminal chairs from the late 1990’s through to the first decade of the 20th century so aptly show.
The Knotted Chair, Marcel Wanders 1996
An early version of a lightweight, structural chair combining industrial techniques and handcrafting is constructed from aramid and carbon fibres knotted into the shape of a chair then saturated in epoxy resin and hung in a frame to dry. Part of the “Dry Tech I” project initiated by droog of the Netherlands. droog through http://vandm.com/droog
Hug Lounge Chair, Leif.designpark for De La Espada 2009
Embracing and serene The “Hug’s” upholstery is in a wool fabric with a base of timber wood for a tailored look. Launched at the London Design Festival this past fall, the Japanese based design studio’s aesthetic “mono (product) and zukuri (“making),” is a philosophy of crafting furniture that connects the product to the Japanese culture. http://www.delaespada.com/
Shadow Armchair, Gaetano Pesce for Meritala 2007
Working with “new materials that fit into the logic of construction,” polyurethane is used to expand directly in the textile covering to follow the body shape while solidifying the structure allowing the covering to twist in unpredictable ways. http://www.gaetanopesce.com/
Sponge, Peter Traag for Edra 2004
Want to sink in, bounce around, and have freedom of movement? Inspired by sea sponges, Traag worked with flexible materials like Lyrca and PVC that deforms as foam expands. Inside the flexible mould a fabric cover is placed which is oversized so that every time the foam is injected it can go its own way producing wrinkles serendipitously to mimic a well-worn classic armchair. http://www.petertraag.com/
Corallo, Fernando and Humberto Campana, 2003
Seating for two is only one highlight of this meticulously hand-sculpted bench by craftsmen at Edra. Irregular weaving of hand bent stainless steel wire with coral pink epoxy paint finish creates one-of-kind indoor/outdoor seating. http://www.mossonline.com/ or http://www.companas.com.br/
Photo: Daria Scagliola and Stijn Brakke
The Ear Chair, Studio Rianne Makkink and Jurgen Bey 2002
The Ear Chair, Studio Rianne Makkink and Jurgen Bey 2002
Ingenious and original, The Ear Chair has it. Limiting the visual as well as the unwanted acoustical element, The Ear Chair was designed for privacy in a corporate reception area. Made to order, the outer fabric is usually in a solid color, while the interior pattern changes to reflect the décor of each room. The armrest serves as a small table. http://www.studiomakkinkbey.nl/
A definite must have for the adventurous it will become even more so as the dialogue between art and industrial design defines the next generation of innovation.
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