5x5 椅子 by Barbara Princic is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2014 A' Design Award 銀獎 in 傢俱設計 Competition Category.

銀傢俱· 2014

5x5 椅子

by Barbara Princic

Client: Sijaj Hrastnik

A' Design Award 銀獎 Winner in 傢俱 Category

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The Design

About 5x5 椅子

5x5椅子是一個典型的設計項目，其局限性被認為是一項挑戰。椅子的座椅和靠背是由xilith製成的，很難成型。 Xilith是一種可以在地下300米以下找到的原材料，並且與煤結合在一起。目前，大部分原材料都被丟棄了。從環境的角度來看，這種材料會在地球表面產生廢物。因此，有關椅子設計的想法似乎非常挑釁和具有挑戰性。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 銀獎

5x5 椅子是 A' Design Award 銀獎得主，這是授予頂級、華美而令人印象深刻的設計的極為崇高的認可。銀獎得主是極其卓越、極具創造力的作品，展現出其設計師傑出的專業技能、才華與敏銳。預計5x5 椅子將成為一件出色的典範之作，兼具非凡的專業性與深刻的創新性。這件贏得 A' Design Award 銀獎的設計是一項備受矚目、令人欽佩的發明，造福並拓展藝術、科學、設計和技術的界限。5x5 椅子是一件令人羨慕的創作，它喚起渴望，帶來積極的情感，並激發驚嘆與讚嘆。

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.