Beke 餐椅 by John G Williams is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2019 A' Design Award 鐵獎 in 傢俱設計 Competition Category.

鐵傢俱· 2019

Beke 餐椅

by John G Williams

Client: John G Williams Fine Furniture

A' Design Award 鐵獎 Winner in 傢俱 Category

12,298

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #70678

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Beke 餐椅

Beke意即「和平」與「連繫」。Beke餐椅的設計體現出符合人體工學及美學上的寧靜感，同時亦令使用者與餐桌周遭的空間產生連結。此設計尊重丹麥現代主義風格的簡約精神，並融入了經過雕塑造型的實心硬木座椅及椅背；結合南非開普荷蘭式建築的裝飾元素與流暢的建築輪廓線條；並以簡潔的白蠟木框架，突顯本地及進口硬木的豐富質感與紋理。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 鐵獎

Beke 餐椅是 A' Design Award 鐵獎得主，這是授予滿足人們對設計精良的創作所期待的專業與工業要求的優良設計的聲望認可。鐵獎得主展現出其創作者的高超技藝、高度專業化、專家級的理解力和創造能力。預計Beke 餐椅將成為一件備受推崇、令人欽佩且被珍愛的創作，既實用又創新。這件贏得 A' Design Award 鐵獎的設計整合了行業最佳實踐，並擁有與專業知識和才華相結合的稱職技術特性。Beke 餐椅因其嚴謹而受到尊重，旨在提供有助於讓世界變得更美好的生活品質改善。

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