Seats like chairs and benches have designs that immediately convey images of stability and reliability, often expressed in shapes that look solid, balanced, and strong. Looks can be deceiving, as they say, and it is often the materials and structures that give a chair those properties. A chair might look like a balloon that can pop any minute but is actually made of powder-coated metal instead.
This collection of backless benches and stools also gives that impression, appearing as thin, soft sheets of metal rolled like sheets of paper. Of course, they’re actually usable seating furniture despite their fragile appearances, giving any room a distinctive visual that develops a unique character over time.
Designer: Arabella Maza and Stephen Maginn (Archive For Space)
Paper is one of the most bendable and fragile solid materials that everyone is familiar with. Ancient papyrus scrolls are known to be brittle even when they were in use, and toilet paper is easily torn or even dissolved when wet. It’s definitely not something you’d want to sit on, yet rolls of paper are exactly the inspiration behind this collection of thin metal seats, teasing the mind whether to believe their eyes or their brains instead.
Named after the aluminum material used to construct these simple yet elegant forms, the “Alu” collection looks like scrolls unraveling and frozen in time. The two remaining rolled ends function as the solid feet that support the structure, while the wavy curves above welcome the bodies of people sitting on them. Given their extra-thin profile, one might be a bit reluctant to surrender themselves to the allure of the benches, yet that is also part of the charm and call to adventure that these unique seats give.
You can’t go more minimalist than a single sheet of metal bent, curved, and rolled to shape. There are no backrests, no armrests, no decorations – just a single unbroken surface with no other details to be seen. Its beauty comes from the gentle curves of the form itself, letting the mind wander and fill in the blanks to their own satisfaction.
At the same time, the Alu collection exudes a brutalist quality, both for the unfinished versions and even for brushed aluminum. These surfaces will develop their own unique patina over the course of their use, from the wear and tear of the environment to the natural oils from people’s hands and bodies. Unique not only in its design but also in its long-term narrative, the Alu benches and stools demonstrate how much you can pull out from a single sheet of material.
