Lightning-themed designs only remind me of one thing: The Flash. The lightning bolt has become an iconic symbol that is widely used in different industries. For mobile consumers, it pertains to battery charging that shows the phone is getting juiced up. The Lightning Chair definitely looks like a lightning bolt from different angles. Thanks to the slanted backrest and legs, it’s shaped like a stylized S. Only two materials have been used to finish the product as the main seat and backrest are made of stainless steel wire, while the rear leg support is made of transparent polycarbonate.
Designer: Mauricio Coelho
The clear plastic makes the chair appear as if floating while the wires are fashioned into stripes, resulting in a sturdier seat, back rest, and front support. There are two color options available–black and white and we can imagine a silver version, but that may look shinier. Although the design isn’t exactly simple, the black and white versions give a certain minimalist feel. The conceptual design of the chair can be dizzying when you look from some angles. This means it can be a great conversation starter as it can capture anyone’s attention.
The Lightning Chair appears fragile, but it’s not because the transparent rear leg support is durable and can carry standard weight. We’re assuming it’s polycarbonate plastic because it is usually used in chairs like the iconic Louis Ghost chair. As we previously mentioned, Maurício Coelho’s creations often involve experiments with different materials, compositions, and forms. The Lightning Chair shows a bit of frailty with the thin wires, but it’s durable. The chair design is only a concept, but we like its presentation, and we can already imagine it selling fast and being copied for a lower price. Of course, we don’t want replicas proliferating the market, but the ingenious design makes it a popular target.
The Lightning Chair is not the only design introduced by Maurício Coelho. Last month, we featured the Chaise Espinhal (Spinal Chaise) as a unique-looking chaise lounge. The spine-inspired chair was shown off with wooden cylinders aligned to create the lounge chair portion while the cylinders are laid onto a sheet metal base for support. In some ways, this is similar to the Lightning Chair with the uniformly aligned cylinders but with the new design using wires. And just like the Spinal Chaise, Coelho’s new design shows some sort of dynamism. Look at the chair from different angles, and you will see various forms and shapes.
