The plastic shell chair is an iconic design, one we’ve seen many iterations of all through the years, however by no means like this the place the fabric is the primary precedence. Designed by Foersom & Hiort-Lorenzen and produced by Normann Copenhagen, the Mat Chair is the product of years of analysis, prototyping, and testing (about 20 years in complete) to discover a higher various to plastic when designing furnishings – therefore the title, Mat, for materials innovation. With circularity on the forefront of the design course of, the brand new up to date shell chair challenges materials and manufacturing norms whereas inspiring sustainable post-production strategies.
The Mat Chair feels conversant in its timeless silhouette and ergonomic curves. The shell can also be what’s most unusual about, and is the essence of, the chair. It’s crafted utilizing hemp fibers sourced from close by areas that develop the crop for the meals and pharma industries that use its leaves and seeds. The Mat Chair, as an alternative, makes use of the stems.
The thought to make use of hemp comes from the truth that it’s an extremely useful and sustainable crop. It sequesters about 15 tons of CO2 per one hectare of hemp and is environmentally pleasant, requiring minimal water and nil pesticides or fertilizers. Hemp grows shortly, permitting it to be harvested incessantly.
The Mat Chair additionally is available in a model fabricated from a mixture of hemp and eelgrass, a sort of seaweed. Whereas much less widespread by trade norms, Denmark, and particularly the island of Læsø, has a historical past of utilizing the resilient algae in roofing. Seaweed can also be a giant sequester of greenhouse fuel emissions and has little environmental affect. Somewhat than being harvested from the ocean and damaging underwater ecosystems, the eelgrass used within the Mat Chairs is collected from the shoreline of Denmark the place the fabric would naturally wash ashore.
The hemp fibers and dried eelgrass are first sorted and milled, then blended with a particular, totally recyclable binder. The combo turns into sheets of the brand new, revolutionary materials which is then pressed into chair shells.
After, the shells are lower to measurement, hand-sanded, and hand-oiled with a VOC-free linseed oil for a last end. Offcuts from the slicing course of are additionally recycled and put again into the milling stage, making certain a totally zero-waste manufacturing. The shells are then mounted onto a powder-coated metal base in both Black or Cream.
As soon as the Mat Chair reaches its end-of-life, the bottom might be disassembled and the shell is recycled again into the manufacturing line. The whole course of – from the years of analysis and testing to lastly creating the chair and the manufacturing technique – highlights the probabilities that may be realized after we prioritize the planet and attempt for a greater, greener way forward for design.
The Mat Chair assortment consists of a eating chair, a eating armchair, a barstool in two heights, a bar chair in two heights, and a bar armchair in two heights. They’re all obtainable in hemp or a hemp and eelgrass materials, and with entrance or full upholstery.
To study extra concerning the Mat Chair assortment, go to normann-copenhagen.com.
