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5x5 Isihlalo by Barbara Princic

5x5 Isihlalo by Barbara Princic is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2014 Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award in Ukudizayina Ifenisha Competition Category.


IsilivaIfenisha· 2014

5x5 Isihlalo

by Barbara Princic

Client: Sijaj Hrastnik

Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award Winner in Ifenisha Category

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Colors

The Design

About 5x5 Isihlalo

Isihlalo se-5x5 yiprojekthi ejwayelekile yokwakhiwa lapho umkhawulo ubonwa njengenselelo. Isihlalo sangemuva nangemuva senziwe nge-xilith okunzima kakhulu ukuyilwa. I-Xilith yiyona nto eluhlaza etholakala ngamamitha angama-300 ngaphansi komhlaba futhi ihlotshiswa ngamalahle. Okwamanje iningi lezinto ezingavuthiwe liyalahlwa. Ngokubuka kwezemvelo lokhu kusebenza kukhiqiza imfucuza ebusweni bomhlaba. Ngakho-ke umbono mayelana nesihlalo sokuklama ubonakala uvusa inselelo futhi uyinselelo.

The Recognition

About the Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award

5x5 Isihlalo iwinile uMklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award, ukwaziswa okuhloniphekile ngokungajwayelekile okunikezwa imiklamo esezingeni eliphezulu, ebukekayo nethinta kakhulu. Abawinile beSiliva yimisebenzi egqamile kakhulu nedala kakhulu ebonisa ubungcweti obuphawulekayo, italente nobuhlakani babaklami babo. 5x5 Isihlalo ilindeleke ukuba ibe ngumsebenzi omuhle wesibonelo, onobungcweti obuphawulekayo nezinto ezintsha ezijulile. Lo mklamo owinile uMklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award uyinto entsha ebonakala kakhulu nethakazelisayo esiza futhi isunduza imingcele yobuciko, isayensi, ukuklama nobuchwepheshe. 5x5 Isihlalo iyinto enomhawu omkhulu kuyo evusa izifiso, ilethe imizwa emihle futhi ivuse ukumangala nokuxakeka.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties
The 5x5 chair is a typical design project where the limitation is recognized as a challenge. The chair's seat and the back are made of xilith which is very difficult to be shaped. Xilith is the raw material that can be found 300 meters under the ground surface and is comined with a coal. But it is nither the coal nor the wood. Currently the majority of the raw material is thrown away. From environmental point of view this material generates waste on the earth surface. Therefore the idea about chair design seemed to be very provocative and challenging. The scientific methods of the material's final surface treatment have been explored so if applied properly the final look can be close to that of ebony.
Each chair is unique as neither two tiles look the same. Therefore the chair can have more brown or more black look depending on the tiles collected together.
Dimensions & Packaging
Width 470 mm x Depth 540 mm x Hight 840 mm
Tags
xilith, tiles, metal, elegant, thin, material innovation, experiment
Production Technology
Chair's structure:
- metal tub legs, surface nickel treated
- seat and back support made of laser cutted metal sheet, surface nickel treated
- Xilith tiles, cut, surface treated with linseed oil;
tiles glued on metal sheet surface
Design Challenge
Material's unique visual properties, physical characteristics and manufacturing limitations were challenging.
The design challenge was simply how to make a chair from little tiles? how to connect them? How to make the underneath seat's metal sheet stiff but yet almost invisible, thin.
Research
It was all about experimental work with this unique material. The scientific methods of surface treatment were examined years before within Biotechnological Faculty, University of Ljubljana. If the surface is treated properly, the outcome look is similar to ebony.
Inspiration
As explained in the project explanation; material's unique visual properties, physical characteristics and manufacturing limitations were challenging.
Xilith is the raw material that is very hard and fragile. Therefore the tile's dimension 5x5 cm is the maximum still acceptable dimension for manufacturing since the material itself is very difficult to be manufactured and shaped.
Project Duration
The project started in May 2008 and finished in October 2008 in Slovenia. It was exhibited at several exhibitions like
- Month of Design, October 2008, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Reader-friendly Design, January 2010, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- The Design Assembly, May 2010, Graz, Austria
- IDEA Award Winners and Finalists exhibition, August 2010, Henry Ford Museum, Michigan USA
- Charm of wood, spring 2011, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Ambient, furniture fair, October 2013, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Operation Flow
It enables very comfortable and ergonomic sitting.
Team Members
Barbara Princic, designer
Mr. Miran Drac, technologist
Image Credits
Images No.1-5, photographer Miha Benedicic, 5x5 chair, 2009.

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