Whale Tail Ghế Băng by Enrique Minguez is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award Bạc in Thiết kế Đồ nội thất Ngoài trời Competition Category.

BạcĐồ nội thất Ngoài trời· 2021

Whale Tail Ghế Băng

by Enrique Minguez

Client: QZ Urban Furniture

A' Design Award Bạc Winner in Đồ nội thất Ngoài trời Category

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The Design

About Whale Tail Ghế Băng

Món nội thất đô thị này là sản phẩm đa năng phù hợp cho cả không gian trong nhà và ngoài trời. Hình dáng của ghế ngồi cùng phần đỡ khiến băng ghế trông giống như đuôi cá voi mà vẫn đảm bảo tính công thái học và độ ổn định. Một lớp sợi thủy tinh mỏng bao phủ lõi bên trong làm từ gỗ hoặc bê tông kết hợp nhựa tái chế. Sản phẩm có thể được bố trí riêng lẻ hoặc theo nhóm nhỏ.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Bạc

Whale Tail Ghế Băng là người chiến thắng giải thưởng A' Design Award Bạc, một sự công nhận đặc biệt danh giá dành cho các thiết kế thượng hạng đẹp lộng lẫy, cao quý và gây ấn tượng. Những người chiến thắng giải Bạc là những tác phẩm cực kỳ xuất sắc và giàu sáng tạo, minh họa chuyên môn, tài năng và sự nhạy bén nổi bật của các nhà thiết kế. Whale Tail Ghế Băng được kỳ vọng là một tác phẩm tuyệt vời, mẫu mực, chuyên nghiệp đáng kể và đổi mới sâu sắc. Thiết kế chiến thắng giải thưởng A' Design Award Bạc này là một phát minh rất đáng chú ý, được ngưỡng mộ, mang lại lợi ích và thúc đẩy ranh giới của nghệ thuật, khoa học, thiết kế và công nghệ. Whale Tail Ghế Băng là một sáng tạo được vô cùng ghen tị, khơi dậy ham muốn, mang lại cảm xúc tích cực và khơi gợi sự kinh ngạc, thán phục.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This single support design, allows for elegance and sobriety in both urban and natural environments. It can be placed either by itself or in small groups, enabling the seating space to resemble the vision of a single whale or of a whole pod swimming in harmony. It allows for different options in use of materials. It can be made of fiberglass reinforced either with wood or concrete. Yet, in its most environmentally efficient version, it can also be made of fiberglass reinforced with concrete and recycled plastic. All of these combinations enable the seat to follow a clean and ergonomic shape. Depending on the materials chosen it can resist up to 310kg.
Dimensions & Packaging: The maximum measures are 80cm width, 54cm depth and 51cm height. The width varies in a smooth transition from the tail (seat) of 80 cm to the neck of the tail (base) of just 16 cm.
Tags: WhaleTailBench, WhaleTail, Bench, SeaBench, PortBench, Seafront
Production Technology: It can be made from three different processes:
A. Fiberglass reinforced with wood. Fiberglass painted thick between 8 and 12 mm. Interior reinforced with high density compact laminated wood frame.
B. Fiberglass with reinforced concrete and recycled plastic. Fiberglass painted thick between 4 and 8 mm. Interior reinforced with polymer concrete and recycled HPDE.
C. Reinforced concrete. Concrete finish, reinforced with fibers of very high performance and great plasticity, which gives it great resistance.
Design Challenge: Once the molds were made, the main problem was maintaining the beauty in all the surface of the element. The solution to the problem was found adapting the manufacturing process to the different materials. It needed to be done in two parts that had to be joined later, working on the partition line. In the case of fiberglass reinforced with concrete and recycled plastic, the problem resided in the breathability of the concrete. To avoid it penetrating the fiber, the element was painted after finishing the piece. Finally, in the version with only concrete, the opening in the surface to pour the concrete was too small and the figure needed to be vibrated, so the solution involved changes in the pouring method and a concrete grain reduction.
Research: The type of research used was data collection by observation, as the main objective was to create a piece based on marine life. Design Thinking Methodology was then used to ensure that ergonomics was present, but always framed by the connection to the sea. Bearing that in mind, whales, dolphins, seahorses, waves and other remarkable marine items were studied to abstract their basic shapes. The aim was to establish a relationship between those shapes and the forms produced by the human body, in search of a practical figure. After some failed initial creations, the focus turned to capturing the aerodynamic and organic essence of the marine environment. Thus, it was concluded that the tail of a whale resembled the basic ergonomics of a seat. The first version was designed with bigger cantilevers but did not pass the strength simulation program test since the bending movement was too big for the desired single support. In order to solve this key part, the cantilever was shortened and the structure reinforced with an internal frame of wood. In the final model, this frame runs through the entire central part of the piece, being the connecting component between the two faces of the bench.
Inspiration: This piece of furniture takes its inspiration from the ocean and one of the most iconic images it offers us: the whale tails.
Project Duration: The project started in September 2019 and finished in March 2020 in Cartagena (Spain), and it was exhibited in the port of Cartagena in June 2020. Currently it has been proposed for a large-area shopping center.
Operation Flow: Sitting bench. This piece not only fulfils the function of a seat, it also provides an aesthetic value when it is placed in the urban space: seafronts, ports, parks, squares, streets and boulevards. When t it is not occupied, its soft undulating shapes make it a sculptural element.
Patents: Patented. 08/2020/435. Enrique Mínguez Ros. 2020. Intellectual property.
Team Members: Designer: Enrique Mínguez
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer David Frutos, Whale Tail Bench, 2020.
Image #2: Photographer David Frutos, Whale Tail Bench, 2020.
Image #3: Photographer David Frutos, Whale Tail Bench, 2020.
Image #4: Photographer Mario González, Whale Tail Bench, 2020.
Image #2: Photographer Enrique Mínguez, Whale Tail Bench, 2020.