Repose Mpando Wopumira by John G Williams is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2019 Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award in Mapangidwe a Fenicha Competition Category.
ChitsuloFenicha· 2019
Repose Mpando Wopumira
Client: John G Williams Fine Furniture
Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award Winner in Fenicha Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #75298The Design
About Repose Mpando Wopumira
Mawu a Bukhu: Repose ndi mpando wopumira wopangidwa ndi matabwa olimba a mtengo wolimba. Fremu yake ndi ya mtengo wa American ash, ndipo mpando ndi msana zake ndi za mtengo wa American walnut. Mpando wozama wopindika umapangidwa mwa kuphatikiza zidutswa za matabwa zopangidwa mwapadera zokhala ndi mbali zopendekera, njira yopititsa patsogolo ya njira yomanga mabala. Zopindika za mkati zimasinthidwa kukhala zosalala pogwiritsa ntchito zida zapadera, pamene mwamba wa manja umasunga mapangidwe ogawanika. Miyendo yakumbuyo imapindidwa ndi nthunzi ndipo imathandiza kukhazikika kwa manja. Zolumikizira za draw bore tenon zimawonjezera mphamvu. Cholinga chinali kufikira kutukuka kofanana ndi mpando wophimbidwa ndi nsalu pogwiritsa ntchito matabwa olimba okhaokha.
The Recognition
About the Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award
Repose Mpando Wopumira ndi mmodzi mwa opambana a Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award, kuzindikirika kolemekezeka komwe kumaperekedwa kwa mapangidwe abwino omwe amakwaniritsa zofunika za akatswiri ndi za makampani zomwe zimayembekezeka kuchokera ku zolengedwa zopangidwa bwino. Opambana a Chitsulo amaonetsa luso lalikulu, ukatswiri wapamwamba, kumvetsetsa kwa akatswiri ndi mphamvu yolenga ya opanga awo. Repose Mpando Wopumira akuyembekezeka kukhala cholengedwa choyamikiridwa kwambiri, chosirira ndi chokondedwa chomwe ndi chothandiza ndi chatsopano. Mapangidwe opambana Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award awa amaphatikiza machitidwe abwino kwambiri a makampani ndipo ali ndi makhalidwe a ukadaulo oyenerera olumikizidwa ndi chidziwitso ndi luso. Repose Mpando Wopumira amalemekezedwa chifukwa cha kusamala kwake ndipo anapangidwa kuti apereke kukonza kwa moyo kumene kumathandiza kusandutsa dziko kukhala malo abwino.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The Repose lounge chair is constructed from solid timber. The curved form is realized by an extreme form of the 'coopering' process - similar to the process used to construct round barrels from staves of timber.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- W 800, D 800, H 830 mm
Constructed from solid hardwood timber. Frame: American Ash. Seat and Back: American Walnut.
Joints use draw bore tenon joints for extra strength - Tags
- Lounge, chair, wooden, artisanal, Danish, timber, art
- Production Technology
- This chair is not moulded, as some might expect, but is formed from solid timber. The deep sweeping form of the seat is made by laminating various pieces of timber, with angled edges, to form the desired curves. The inside curves are machined into smooth curves with custom made tooling; but the arm uppers retain some of the segmented feel - smooth enough and yet conveying a sense of where the piece came from. The rear legs are steam bent, to retain the overall simplicity, and to attenuate and stabilize the top part of the chair arms. The backrest is also a curved laminated, solid-wood form. It would also be possible to add a thin seat cushion, or perhaps to re-conceive the entire backrest as a custom moulded leather cushion
- Design Challenge
- The major unknown was how strong the seat section would be in bending - in other words if someone sat on the arms, would they break? It became apparent that the arms would need additional support given the depth of the form, and the inevitable flexibility (despite steps taken to add strength in the manufacturing process). It was found that the support pins at the rear of the arms were sufficient to stabilize the entire form - which was confirmed through trial and error.
Overall the challenge was to create a lounge chair that, despite being solid timber, would be as comfortable as an upholstered equivalent - Research
- The method drew heavily on the methods used in earlier designs (eg Zene submitted last year), but took these to extremes to experiment with the art of the possible.
New tooling was developed, in the form of a type of drum sander run between centres on a woodworking lathe, to machine the large concave curves - Inspiration
- The inspirational question behind Repose was: if the design language at the core of the Beke and Zene dining ranges were extended to lounge furniture, what would that look like? Could a form be created out of beautiful solid hardwood timber that was profoundly comfortable even though it may be challenging to manufacture? Could some sort of modern shell design be crafted out of solid timber to yield a beautiful striking new design ?
- Project Duration
- The project was designed and the first prototype built in 4 weeks, starting Dec 2018 and completing in Jan 2019 in Johannesburg South Africa. The design was refined and built in finished materials (Ash and Walnut) over the following 4 weeks.
- Operation Flow
- The user settles comfortably down into the seat using the armrests.
Various postures are supported sitting comfortably down in the seat.
Getting back out of the seat is very easy, and facilitated by the arms. - Patents
- UK IPO design registration: 6053688
- Team Members
- John G Williams
- Image Credits
- All images: John G Williams
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