Akhalteke offers a unique sitting experience, evoking the sensation of riding a horse for the first time. Inspired by the designer's childhood horseback riding experiences and fascination with equine anatomy, the design establishes a two way interaction between the user and their experience. Drawing from the saddle, one of humanity's earliest seating forms, Akhalteke blends the comfort of a lounge chair with the essence of riding. The name comes from the Akhalteke, a breed of Turkmen horses, reflecting the design’s inspiration and dynamic form.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- In the design of Akhal-Teke, my goal was to create a unique sitting experience, one that evokes the feeling we all had the first time we rode a horse. Akhal-Teke establishes a two-way interaction with the user and their experience, offering a distinctive way of sitting that the user willingly embraces.
This eagerness to experience and accept is inspired by the Form of Akhal-Teke. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 770mm x Depth 855mm x Height 720mm.
- Tags
- Conceptual, Lounge Chair, Lounge, Chair, Horse, Saddle
- Production Technology
- For the construction of Akhal-Teke, bio-composites made from hemp or flax fibers and PLA bio-resin were considered. This combination enabled the creation of a high-quality final form with desirable finishes while offering a sustainable alternative to traditional composites like fiberglass and carbon fiber.
At the same time, these materials not only promote environmental responsibility but also reinforce a natural connection to their inspiration. - Design Challenge
- The primary challenge in the design process was to create a two-way experience in the act of sitting, such that the object (seat) and the subject (user) engage in a dialectical interaction with one another, transforming sitting from a passive state into an active one and allowing for a fresh understanding of the sitting experience.
The next significant challenge was to achieve a form that simultaneously incorporates both aesthetics and functionality. The design was not intended to directly reference the anatomy of a horse. Rather, the goal was to establish a subtle connection to the experience of sitting, enabling users to intuitively connect with it without relying on direct or obvious visual cues. - Project Duration
- the project started in September 2023 in Tehran and finished in September 2024.
- Operation Flow
- The Akhal-Teke is inspired by the elegance of the anatomy of the Akhal-Teke breed of Turkmen horses, striving to go beyond its purely functional concept and becoming an object with identity in space, much like a noble horse.
As a chair, Akhal-Teke offers a unique sitting experience, evoking the feeling of riding a horse for the first time. Its form creates a two-way interaction with the user, encouraging a distinctive way of sitting that is eagerly embraced.
This eagerness stems from the form of the Akhal-Teke. - Research
- The horse, one of the first domesticated animals by humans, has a deep-rooted history with mankind. Our ancestors spent a significant amount of time riding, and thus, the way of sitting on a horse became one of the most common sitting postures. In the design of Akhal-Teke, the aim is to revive this sitting posture and bring it into everyday human life; a way of sitting that is likely embedded in our historical memory and DNA.
On the other hand, in considering materials for Akhal-Teke, thorough research was conducted to ensure that sustainable and environmentally friendly options were taken into account. In this regard, the material identity chosen for Akhal-Teke is aligned with the core identity of its design. - Inspiration
- The design is inspired by my childhood experiences of horseback riding and my fascination with equine anatomy.
As a design student, I was drawn to the idea that saddles represent some of humanity's earliest forms of seating, dating back to the domestication of horses.
Through this design, I sought to capture the feel of both a lounge chair and the riding experience, creating a form that evokes those dual inspirations.
The name Akhal-Teke is derived from a breed of Turkmen horses.
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