Little Thunder 扶手椅 by Grasset Francois is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award 银奖 in 家具设计 Competition Category.

银家具· 2020

Little Thunder 扶手椅

by Grasset Francois

Client: Briant Sellerie

A' Design Award 银奖 Winner in 家具 Category

28,440

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #93114

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Little Thunder 扶手椅

小雷霆是一款为家居与办公空间设计的扶手椅。其结构以拱券为基础——这一半圆柱形态自古以来便被广泛运用于建筑之中。拱券结构在节省用材的同时,赋予扶手椅坚固的支撑力。在这一基本曲面造型之上,增设了座面与靠背。扶手椅采用多层木板经大型模具成型制作,表面可施以多种颜色的漆面处理,亦可覆以胡桃木饰面。扶手椅尺寸为宽800毫米、深630毫米、高730毫米。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 银奖

Little Thunder 扶手椅是 A' Design Award 银奖得主，这是授予顶级、华美而令人印象深刻的设计的极为崇高的认可。银奖得主是极其卓越、极具创造力的作品，展现出其设计师杰出的专业技能、才华与敏锐。预计Little Thunder 扶手椅将成为一件出色的典范之作，兼具非凡的专业性与深刻的创新性。这件赢得 A' Design Award 银奖的设计是一项备受瞩目、令人钦佩的发明，造福并拓展艺术、科学、设计和技术的边界。Little Thunder 扶手椅是一件令人羡慕的创作，它唤起渴望，带来积极的情感，并激发惊叹与赞叹。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: This armchair employs a vault shape, which is one of the most robust structure possible with these materials. It also is highly decorative – examples of this architecture can be found going back to antiquity. Little Thunder’s timeless design means it will be a prized piece for years, isn't it the hallmark of a truly environmentally and social responsible design ?
Dimensions & Packaging: Width : 800 mm, depth : 630 mm, Height : 730 mm.
Tags: Armchair, arch, vault, wood, Little Thunder.
Production Technology: After making the foundational decision to adopt an vault structure, the design process progressed rather quickly. The fine-tuning process was meticulous, as we had to account for ergonomic factors. The manufacturing process requires specific skills, including multi-layer wood panels using large moulds. The suggested model is lacquered (with several colour options) or uses walnut wood veneer.
Design Challenge: The challenge was to design a furniture item, visually powerful enough to represent the diversification strategy of the company. It had to be manufactured in small series, ideally by one or several craftsmen.
Research: This armchair was developed for business and home uses. It will fit perfectly in an office or waiting room setting as well as in a living room or home office.
Inspiration: The Little Thunder armchair was born of our desire to create a very geometrically stable seat while using materials rigorously. The idea of a half-cylinder soon became obvious because its structure is so effective. Simply adding a seat and backrest to the basic shape can bring the same strong sensations as a summer thunderstorm.
Project Duration: We first began designing this armchair about a year and a half ago (in early 2018). After a number of sketches and 3D-printed scale models, we adjusted the shape to best suit ergonomic seating positions.
The study and production of the laminated timber armchair were done in Chambéry (Savoy), France.
Operation Flow: This armchair is designed to create a visual impact on its environment. Its shapes and geometric curves give it a highly graphical and surprising character. The lines crisscross but never clash, after numerous attempts to find a clean, comfortable result. Several finishes are offered to best match your desired indoor decoration.
Finally, further studies have yielded versions with wider armrests and strengthened, decorative bases.