The Monomorph 椅子 by Wouter Van Riet Paap

The Monomorph 椅子 by Wouter Van Riet Paap is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award 铁奖 in 家具设计 Competition Category.

铁家具· 2025

The Monomorph 椅子

by Wouter Van Riet Paap

Client: De Ontwerpdivisie

A' Design Award 铁奖 Winner in 家具 Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #163541

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Colors

The Design

About The Monomorph 椅子

Monomorph 是一把由 39 个完全相同的木质构件组装而成的椅子。仅以一种形状来构成一把椅子，成就了一件极为耐用的模块化产品。这些三角形构件全部取自同一张胶合板。39 个构件通过钢杆连接，构成靠背、坐面与椅腿。这把椅子可以以平板包装方式运输，组装十分便捷。胶合板可采用预选色彩涂装，也可在原生版本中保留未经处理的原色。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 铁奖

The Monomorph 椅子是 A' Design Award 铁奖得主，这是授予满足人们对设计精良的创作所期待的专业与工业要求的优良设计的声望认可。铁奖得主展现出其创作者的高超技艺、高度专业化、专家级的理解力和创造能力。预计The Monomorph 椅子将成为一件备受推崇、令人钦佩且被珍爱的创作，既实用又创新。这件赢得 A' Design Award 铁奖的设计整合了行业最佳实践，并拥有与专业知识和才华相结合的称职技术特性。The Monomorph 椅子因其严谨而受到尊重，旨在提供有助于让世界变得更美好的生活品质改善。

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