It’s difficult to appreciate how simple yet complex the Void chair is. Look at it and you realize that it’s entirely made from one singular piece of plywood that’s been contorted into this beautiful shape. The plywood bends to form the seat, legs, and backrest, also giving you an easter-egg in the form of two hidden pockets that let you store books and magazines. The ‘simple-looking’ chair, however, isn’t so imple to produce. It requires to be cut from a large plywood sheet, then heat-treated to make it pliable, and formed into its unique shape using molds and vices. The result is a lounge chair that really highlights the capabilities of bent plywood as a viable (and classy) material, and of designer João Teixeira’s creative abilities.
Designer: João Teixeira (Teixeira Design Studio)
The Void lounge chair gets its name from the void created in the center while it gets cut out as a flat piece. The flat version of the chair is then ‘folded’ into its shape using a series of heating and bending processes, and the void eventually gets closed, becoming the small gap between the seat and the backrest.
A closer look at the Void lounge chair’s actual void.
The bending process results in the creation of two pocket areas within the chair’s legs. Rather than just closing them off or leaving them as a visual detail, Teixeira adds function to them, turning them into book-holders that you can use to store books, newspapers, magazines, or even vinyl discs. The slim profile of these holders keeps the books upright and has them right at your fingertips whenever you want to just sit and read for a bit.
The chair’s upholstery is continuous too, ging from the seat to the backrest via these book slots. I’d imagine that area would gather dust with time, but its cushioned design is much better than dropping your books directly onto plywood and having their corners or binding get bent, damaged, or crushed in the process.
The result is a lounge chair that’s minimalist in form and material, but maximalist in its expressiveness. The simple lounge chair adds a unique calming effect to your interiors without distracting too much from other elements of decor. It’s perfect for a living room around a coffee table, or even your balcony, and works just as well in coffee shops, bookstores, and coworking spaces looking to elevate their decor through functional furniture.
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