The Monomorph Sella by Wouter Van Riet Paap is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Praemium A' Design Award Ferreum in Designatio Supellectilis Competition Category.
FerrumSupellex· 2025
The Monomorph Sella
Client: De Ontwerpdivisie
Praemium A' Design Award Ferreum Winner in Supellex Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #163541The Design
About The Monomorph Sella
Monomorph est sella e triginta novem elementis ligneis identicis confecta. Una tantum forma ad sellam creandam adhibita, productum valde durabile modulareque efficitur. Haec elementa triangularia omnia ex una lamina ligni laminati proveniunt. Triginta novem elementa virgis ferreis connectuntur, dorsuarium, sedem cruaque formantia. Sella tamquam fasciculus planus transportari potest faciliterque componitur. Lignum laminatum coloribus praeselectis pingitur aut in editione cruda intractatum adhiberi potest.
The Recognition
About the Praemium A' Design Award Ferreum
The Monomorph Sella victor est Praemii A' Design Award Ferreum, honoris amplissimi formis bonis dati, quae postulatis professionalibus et industrialibus ab creationibus bene formatis exspectatis satisfaciunt. Victores Ferrei magnam peritiam, altam specializationem, intellectum periti et facultatem creandi auctorum suorum ostendunt. Exspectatur The Monomorph Sella creationem multum aestimatam, admiratam et carissimam, practicam et novam fore. Haec forma Ferreo victa optimas industriae consuetudines integrat et proprietates technicas idoneas, cum scientia et talento coniunctas, habet. The Monomorph Sella ob diligentiam suam honoratur et ad vitae qualitatem emendandam formatum est, ut mundum meliorem reddere iuvet.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The Monomorph is a chair that is constructed with 39 completely identical plywood elements. These elements are connected by steel rods. The plywood is painted in pre-selected colors but can also be used untreated in the RAW edition. The Monomorph is a relaxing fauteuil, intriguing from all angles.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The chair has a total depth of 810mm, a total width of 650mm and a total height of 850mm. Materials used are painted plywood, stainless steel tubes with rifling inside and cap screw on the outside.
- Tags
- chair, fauteuil, plywood,steel, comfortable, modular
- Production Technology
- The 38 elements are CNC cut after various scale models were made. There has been substantial testing of various elements resulting in different chairs with different levels of comfort. eventually this single shape turned out to be the perfect single shape to create a chair with. There are several variants with 16 identical elements instead of 39, where the seat and backrest are formed with paper cord, used trucktarp or vegan leather.
- Design Challenge
- The hardest part was to actually find the single shape with which to realize an actual chair that is both beautiful and comfortable. After the shape was found the challange was to make the chair stable. For this several models were build and eventually the real life prototype. First with 16 identical elements with vegan leather used for seat and backrest. Later even more pure, using only that one wooden shape.
- Research
- As an architect I am always thinking about design and how to make it buildable. In construction the standardisation of elements, or even complete houses, has become more and more important. To keep costs acceptable, to minimize failure and maximize sustainability. But standardisation also limits the architects freedom to actually make a design. That is why I try to design these standardised elements myself in order to make the design leading and the standard elements following. The Monomorph is based on this principle of design lead standardisation. It is a chair constructed with 39 identical elements, which is a wooden triangle with rounded corners. A chair is formed by connecting these 39 elements with steel rods. The same element can be seat, backrest or leg. By adding more elements the chair can even be a sofa.
- Inspiration
- In nature, an organism existing out of one shape is called a monomorph. The Monomorph chair is the result of my research to find this ideal single shape to create a chair with: One form to define the result. It makes building the chair efficient, creating less waste.
- Project Duration
- The chair was designed in Januari 2024 in Utrecht, The Netherlands after several models were made. The first real size prototype was build in March 2024 after which extensive testing at the designers house took place. All in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Operation Flow
- The chair can be assembled by everyone who can handle a allen wrench.
- Patents
- Copyrights belong to Wouter van Riet Paap, 2024
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