The Monomorph Cadièra by Wouter Van Riet Paap

The Monomorph Cadièra by Wouter Van Riet Paap is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award de Fèrre in Dissènh de Mobilièr Competition Category.

FèrreMobilièr· 2025

The Monomorph Cadièra

by Wouter Van Riet Paap

Client: De Ontwerpdivisie

A' Design Award de Fèrre Winner in Mobilièr Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #163541

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Colors

The Design

About The Monomorph Cadièra

Lo Monomorph es una cadièra construïda amb 39 elements de fusta identics. Trabalhar amb una sola forma per crear una cadièra resulta en un produit modular fòrça durable. Aquestes elements de forma triangulara provenon totes d'un solet fuèlh de contraplacat. Los 39 elements son connectats per barras d'acièr que forman lo dossièr, lo sèti e las cambas. La cadièra pòt èsser transportada coma un paquet plat e es facila de montar. Lo contraplacat es pintat en colors preseleccionadas o pòt èsser utilizat sens tractament dins l'edicion bruta.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Fèrre

The Monomorph Cadièra a ganhat la distincion A' Design Award de Fèrre, una reconeissença prestigiosa acordada a de bons designs que respondon a las exigéncias professionalas e industrialas esperadas de creacions plan concebudas. Los ganhaires del Fèrre demòstran una granda abilitat, una nauta especializacion, una comprenedura d'expèrt e la capacitat creativa de lors creators. S'espèra que The Monomorph Cadièra siá una creacion fòrça considerada, admirada e estimada, practica e innovanta. Aqueste design ganhaire de la distincion A' Design Award de Fèrre integra las melhoras practicas del sector e a de caracteristicas tecnicas competentas ligadas a un saber-far e a un talent. Per son rigor, The Monomorph Cadièra merita lo respècte e es destinat a aportar de melhoraments a la qualitat de la vida que ajudan a far del mond un luòc melhor.

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