Repose Fotel wypoczynkowy by John G Williams is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2019 Żelazna Nagroda A' Design Award in Wzornictwo Mebli Competition Category.
ŻelaznaMeble· 2019
Repose Fotel wypoczynkowy
Client: John G Williams Fine Furniture
Żelazna Nagroda A' Design Award Winner in Meble Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #75298The Design
About Repose Fotel wypoczynkowy
Repose to fotel wypoczynkowy wykonany z litego drewna liściastego. Rama jest wykonana z amerykańskiego jesionu, a siedzisko i oparcie z amerykańskiego orzecha. Głęboko wyprofilowane siedzisko powstało poprzez laminowanie ukształtowanych elementów drewna o skośnych krawędziach – jest to skrajna wersja metody bednarskiej stosowanej do budowy beczek. Wewnętrzne krzywizny są gładko obrobione maszynowo za pomocą specjalnie zaprojektowanych narzędzi, podczas gdy górne części podłokietników zachowują segmentową fakturę. Tylne nogi są gięte parowo i pomagają stabilizować podłokietniki. Połączenia czopowe z klinowaniem (draw bore) dodają konstrukcji wytrzymałości. Celem było osiągnięcie komfortu tapicerowanego fotela przy użyciu wyłącznie litego drewna.
The Recognition
About the Żelazna Nagroda A' Design Award
Repose Fotel wypoczynkowy to laureat Żelaznej Nagrody A' Design Award, prestiżowego wyróżnienia przyznawanego dobrym projektom, które spełniają zawodowe i przemysłowe wymagania oczekiwane od dobrze zaprojektowanych dzieł. Laureaci Żelaznej Nagrody wykazują wielką biegłość, wysoką specjalizację, fachowe zrozumienie i zdolności twórcze ich autorów. Repose Fotel wypoczynkowy ma być wysoko cenionym, podziwianym i drogim sercu dziełem, które jest praktyczne i innowacyjne. Ten projekt nagrodzony Żelazną Nagrodą A' Design Award integruje najlepsze praktyki branżowe i ma kompetentne cechy techniczne powiązane z wiedzą fachową i talentem. Dzięki starannemu wykonaniu Repose Fotel wypoczynkowy cieszy się szacunkiem, a jego zadaniem jest zapewnianie poprawy jakości życia, która pomaga uczynić świat lepszym miejscem.
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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