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Tha Cathedra by Jun Nakano

Tha Cathedra by Jun Nakano is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum in Designatio Supellectilis Competition Category.


AesSupellex· 2024

Tha Cathedra

by Jun Nakano

Client: Jun Nakano

Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum Winner in Supellex Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Tha Cathedra

Tha est cathedra quattuor pedibus praedita quae tam a fronte quam a tergo cumulari potest. Hoc consilium revolutionarium in historia cathedrarum, iam privilegio protectum, valde commodum est. Facile leniterque cumulari potest levi elevatione a tergo facta, etiam si mensa ante posita est. Nihil in forma vel commoditate sedendi huic proprietati sacrificatum est. Lineis simplicibus concepta est quae opus manuale nimium non requirunt.

The Recognition

About the Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum

Tha Cathedra victor est Praemii A' Design Award Aeneum, honoris multum aestimati formis egregiis, creandi ingenio, sollertia et acumine insignibus dati. Victores Aenei opera perita et mire creandi sunt, quae experientiam, imaginationem et solertiam auctorum suorum confirmant. Exspectatur Tha Cathedra rem multum aestimatam, admiratam et carissimam, notabiliter professionalem et novam fore. Haec forma Aeneo victa optimas consuetudines artis, scientiae, formandi rationis et technologiae amplectitur et in cura minutiarum excellit. Tha Cathedra necessitates egregie explet, cupiditates tangit, sensus capit et curiositatem allicit.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
"THA Chair" is a four-legged armchair that can be stacked not only from the front but also from the back.
This is a revolutionary idea in the history of chairs and is very convenient. For example, if you want to stack regular chairs with a table in front, it is very difficult to pull the chairs out wide and stack them from the front. Additionally, it must be raised to seat height. Meanwhile, this chair can be stacked smoothly with only a slight lift.
Dimensions & Packaging
Width 650mm x Depth 540mm x Height 820mm
Tags
Chair, Stacking, Furniture, Patented, Innovative
Production Technology
The curved surface of the backrest is smooth and provides firm back support. The armrest is composed of straight lines and curved lines, which eliminates excessive manual work and contributes to cost reduction. The aim was to create a simple and functional design that eliminates unnecessary decorations. The structure is also very simple and does not require any moving parts to flip up the seat like traditional nesting chairs.
Design Challenge
This structure had problems with its strength, but by making the legs and armrests thinner, it was able to flexibly withstand the load. It has a structure that does not sacrifice functionality or comfort as a chair. The name THA comes from the silhouette of the chairs when lined up.
Research
Regular stackable chairs cannot be stacked from the back, regardless of whether they have armrests or not. And in the history of chair design, which is said to have a history of 4,000 years, armchairs that can be stacked from the back have not become popular at all. The improved positioning of the armrests and front legs contributes to this innovative feature.
Inspiration
Why did we never question the fact that chairs can only be stacked from the front? To eliminate this inconvenience, we improved the positioning and processing of the legs and armrests so that they could be stacked from the back.
This patented idea and structure can also be applied to steel chairs, creating a new trend in stackable chair design.
Project Duration
We applied for a patent and design in 2019, presented a prototype of this chair design in Tokyo in 2021, updated it further, and exhibited it at the IFFT Tokyo International Furniture Fair in March 2024. The prototype has been completed and sales are about to begin.
Operation Flow
You can stack the chairs in different ways depending on the situation, such as from the back if the table is in front of you, or from the front if it is leaning against a wall. When stacked from the front, they have the same functionality as regular chairs, but when stacked from the back, they don't have to be lifted as high and are even more functional. This is especially important if you are loading the cart high up.
Image Credits
All image and video rights are reserved by Jun Nakano.

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