Beke Àga Ìjẹun by John G Williams is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2019 Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award in Àpẹẹrẹ Ohun-èlò Ilé Competition Category.
IrinOhun-èlò Ilé· 2019
Beke Àga Ìjẹun
Client: John G Williams Fine Furniture
Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award Winner in Ohun-èlò Ilé Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #70678The Design
About Beke Àga Ìjẹun
Beke túmọ̀ sí 'àlàáfíà' àti 'láti so pọ̀ mọ́'. Àpẹẹrẹ àga ìjẹun Beke ń ṣe àtìlẹ́yìn fún ìmọ̀lára àlàáfíà tí ó bọ́gbọ́n mu fún ara àti tí ó lẹ́wà, àti ní àkókò kan náà, ìmọ̀lára ìsopọ̀ pẹ̀lú àyè tí ó wà ní orí tábìlì. Àpẹẹrẹ náà bọ̀wọ̀ fún ìrọ̀rùn àti ìṣírọ̀rùn ìmọ̀ ọgbọ́n Danish Modern, síbẹ̀síbẹ̀ ó ní ìjókòó àti ẹ̀yìn tí a ṣe láti inú igi líle tí ó lágbára; ó so àwọn àpẹẹrẹ iṣẹ́ ọnà kíkọ́ ilé Cape Dutch ti South Africa pọ̀ pẹ̀lú ìṣàfihàn iṣẹ́ ọnà kíkọ́ ilé tí ó gbòòrò; ó sì lo férémù ash tí ó mọ́ láti fi ọ̀rọ̀ àwọn igi líle ti agbègbè àti ti orílẹ̀-èdè hàn.
The Recognition
About the Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award
Beke Àga Ìjẹun jẹ́ olùborí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award, ìdánimọ̀ olókìkí tí a fún àwọn àwòṣe tó dára tí wọ́n pàdé àwọn ohun tí iṣẹ́ àti ilé-iṣẹ́ nílò tí a retí láti ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn ẹ̀dá tí a ṣàwòṣe dáradára. Àwọn olùborí Irin ń fi ìjáfáfá ńlá, ìmọ̀ pàtó gíga, òye ògbóǹtarìgì àti agbára ìṣẹ̀dá àwọn olùṣẹ̀dá wọn hàn. A retí pé Beke Àga Ìjẹun yóò jẹ́ ẹ̀dá tí a kà sí gidigidi, tí a gbóríyìn fún tí a sì nífẹ̀ẹ́, tó wúlò tó sì ní ìmúṣẹ̀dá tuntun. Àwòṣe tó borí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award yìí ń kó àwọn ọ̀nà tó dára jùlọ ilé-iṣẹ́ jọ, ó sì ní àwọn ànímọ́ ìmọ̀-ẹ̀rọ tó péye tí a so mọ́ ìmọ̀ ṣíṣe àti ẹ̀bùn. A bọ̀wọ̀ fún Beke Àga Ìjẹun nítorí ìfọ̀kànbalẹ̀ rẹ̀, a sì ṣàwòṣe rẹ̀ láti pèsè ìmúdára ìgbésí ayé tó ń ran ayé lọ́wọ́ láti di ibi tó dára jù.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The Beke design uses a combination of innovative components.
The seat is a unique design laminated from individually shaped profiles to yield the final solid hardwood architectural form.
The rear legs are formed in two parts: first by steam bending the graceful form, and then laminating for long term dimensional stability.
The rails are profiled in an attempt to reinforce the overall lightness and sense of peace, and to support the cantilevered seat over the front rail. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Overall dimensions: 880mm high; 520mm wide; 600mm deep
Seat size in plan: 520mm wide x 440 mm deep
Backrest size in elevation: 540mm wide x 200mm high
Seat height from floor: 460mm. Raked back at 5 degrees
Back rest height from floor: 825mm. Raked back at 18 degrees
Weight: 5.5kg - Tags
- Beke, dining chair, south africa, hardwood, curved, danish modern, minimalist, ash, walnut, graceful
- Production Technology
- The chair design incorporates a number of innovative components: custom profiled hardwood seat; steam bent rear legs; coopered backrest; and shaped rails:
Custom profiled hardwood seat. The seat is constructed from over twenty individually shaped profiles that are formed from a solid hardwood, such as walnut. The laminated rough form is finished with purpose modified sanding tooling, to realize the final shape. Threaded inserts in the base of the seat provide strong engineered connection to the frame for the cantilevered seat form.
Steam bent rear legs. The rear legs are steam bent in two pieces; cooled and stabilized; and then laminated to generate the final leg forms. Regular lamination was discarded on account of the excessive glue joints implied; and steam bending alone risked dimensional instability over time. This innovative combination captures the best of both techniques.
Coopered backrest. Coopering is the ancient art of constructing curved forms as used in barrel construction. The backrest staves are cut with edges 1 degree off perpendicular so that, when glued together, they pull into the curved form. Modified power tools are used to finish shape the graceful curves.
Shaped rails. The rails incorporate forms that echo local Cape Dutch architecture. These are achieved by trimming the rails to custom templates. - Design Challenge
- The hardest part of this design was to make sure that the end result was clean, simple and graceful. On multiple occasions unduly complicated ideas were abandoned in favour of simpler, cleaner design details
- Research
- The Carl Hansen library of designs were carefully reviewed and analysed;
Earlier designs were critiqued, including last year's Zene design;
Various sweeping architectural forms were referenced;
Steam bending method and realisation were researched drawing on various inputs including helpful general introduction by Veritas;
Template cutting and trimming methods were researched and prototyped, to understand the boundaries and possibilities. - Inspiration
- Beke means 'peace' and 'to be connected to'. This design is intended to put the user at ease, for extended comfort at the dining table – to provide an ergonomic and aesthetic sense of peace. The design attempts to realize this sense of well-being, and at the same time to support a sense of connection with the space at the table, and hence engagement with the other diners.
The design: respects the simplicity of the Danish Modern, and yet incorporates a luxurious solid hardwood seat and back; integrates South African Cape Dutch architectural motifs with a sweeping architectural profile; uses a clean ash frame to showcase the richness of local and international hardwoods. - Project Duration
- Work started on the design in March 2018 and was completed it in May 2018.
- Operation Flow
- The chair works well at the dining table and, when pushed back or used elsewhere, is also comfortable for extended periods of time. Moving the chair around is easy – the hand naturally finds the hand-shaped indent at the bottom edge of the backrest and the well-balanced chair is readily lifted from this point
- Patents
- UK IP Office Registered Design: 6047911
Holder: John Griffith Williams, 2018 - Team Members
- John G Williams
- Image Credits
- All photos by John G Williams
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