This chair started off as a sort of embodiment of my uncertainty. I wanted to submit something to the Architect’s Chair competition because I sometimes find deadlines helpful, but I didn’t want to stray far from my practice at the time nor venture into completely new materials. I initially designed the chair to be temporary, as assembly of stock that could be put to a different use when the chair (perhaps) didn’t win anything in the competition – it would exist for the competition alone. I used 1/2″ aluminium bar, as this is what I had to hand and could easily use for milling light switches and other projects. I stuck to 90 degree cuts only with as few holes as possible. I used clips instead of adhesives or additional screws too.
I spent a long time figuring out what type of chair I wanted it to be, how it would make you sit – and ultimately how does it feel to sit with uncertainty, waiting for someone’s judgement on your work. For me, it made sense as a chair that you would sit in while waiting for a job interview – when you are anxious but trying to seem relaxed. It has the critical dimensions of dining-armchair but the weight of an immovable fixed furnishing of a lobby.
Continuing with the uncertainty concept, it was engineered in a way that it could be assembled in two different ways.
The seat is made of European ash, planed, biscuited and stained and it stayed like that in the corner of the workshop for 6 months, collecting dust. It was only when a sample of bright orange transparent vinyl arrived that I wanted to finish it.
I never did submit it to the competition. For one thing it uses about 3x the aluminium necessary for a chair of these dimensions.
Now I’m looking for a suitably uncertain scene to place it in, a corporate lobby or visa office.