Manish Maheshwari · CLIENT: Manish Maheshwari
Ori is an accent chair inspired by the art of origami and by the form of a ruffled palm leaf. The design translates paper folding into metal folding. Thin galvanised metal gives the chair strength and a light, paper-like appearance and suits outdoor use. Wood is applied only at the seat and the backrest to improve seating comfort. Bolts and magnets join the folded parts into one piece with a clean finish. The chair folds down for compact packing and delivery. The colours are drawn from the sunflower. Unfolded dimensions are 880 mm high and 950 mm in diameter.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, is an ancient art form that converts paper into 3d objects. Based on this principle, the Ori chair derives its concept. The design translates paper folding into metal folding and, ultimately, a unique piece of furniture.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Folding metal comes with its own set of challenges to achieve ergonomically comfortable seating. The idea behind the chair using the origami technique was to ease the packaging and delivery. The Ori Chair can be easily folded up and packed into a small box, considerably reducing the volume of the package. It uses simple mechanisms to attach into one piece giving it a crisp and clean finish. 880mm(h) x 950mm(dia.) are the unfolded chair's dimensions.
- Tags
- Origami, foldable, ergonomics, metal, minimal, nature-inspired
- Production Technology
- The sturdy but thin metal used in the chair is galvanised to take on the harsh outdoors while visually being light as paper. Metal being a cradle-to-cradle material propagates sustainable development. Wood is used as moderating material to provide the comfort of seating instead of the harshness of the metal. Its use is restricted only to crucial parts, including the seating and backrest of the chair.
- Design Challenge
- The Ori chair challenged our 7 years of experience working with metal since combining metal with origami techniques in itself is a challenge. Working on relieving pressure at the ridges by bringing in the right slit dimension and connecting the bridge between two slits to avoid sheer in metal proved strenuous. Break-through was about getting it right for an individual to bend manually by hands. It became essential to hit the sweet spot for the number of folds to get perfect ergonomics which finally came through trials and errors.
- Project Duration
- The project research started in 2020 and was finished in 3 months
- Operation Flow
- The Ori chair uses a mechanism based on the principle of origami. It uses simple tools like bolts and magnets to assemble itself into a useable piece of furniture.
- Research
- The structure of a ruffled palm leaf is uniquely formed in nature. The broad circular leaf spanning up to 5ft in diameter originates from one thin branch. This plant leaf inspires the shape and form of the Ori chair. Origami technique became the yin yang fit for translating the ruffled palm leaf form into an ergonomically designed furniture piece. The chairs' colours are derived from the sunflower, making it a stark piece of art as well.
- Inspiration
- The Ori chair is a translation of the art of Origami into metal folding and, ultimately, a unique piece of furniture. It uses the colour combinations of a Sunflower. Bright yellow expresses a bold presence of the chair as an art piece. The trend of earthen finishes and materials are primarily used in architecture, interior, and landscape design. The colours blended with minimal design flares draw attention while complementing confined interiors or outdoor space.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer: Dhiram Patel
Image #2,#3,#4,#5: Photographer: Manish Maheshwari , Editing: Roshni shah
Illustrator: Roshni Shah
Video Credits: Dhiram Patel
Press releases are available in 1 languages.