Kite chair
Designed for Bolia, 2022
The project of Kite chair comes from the idea of designing a stackable chair that also has a strong domestic appeal, characterized by a welcoming and crafted feel.
Kite chair has a both dynamic and calm identity. The characteristic design of the backrest is inspired by the shape of a kite inflated by wind blowing from the front of the chair. The chair embraces the user providing comfort both to the back and the hips. The sides of the curved backrest, made of steam bent solid oak, work also nicely as small armrests. Kite is stackable, this feature combined with the robustness of its construction makes this chair suitable both for domestic and public spaces.
The main challenge of the project, was to design the shape of the backrest in a way that it could be manufactured out of a single piece of steam bent oak. The three-dimensional curvature of the backrest surface, with its inclination gradually changing from pointing forward where it connects with the legs to reaching the correct comfortable angle in the middle of the backrest, makes manufacturing particularly challenging, especially when combined with the small radius of curvature of the steam-bent semi-finished piece. After conducting several tests in close dialogue with the manufacturer, we believe the result appears to be a very natural solution, almost concealing the complexity of the manufacturing process.
