Elegy for the Arctic
#chair design #concept design
Highlight
1. Call on the urgency of Arctic’s ecosystems
2. Material experiment, cooperate with factory
3. Pay tribute to Ludovico Einaudi
Category – Chair Design
Type – Academic / Independant
Partner- 法古金屬有限公司
I hope to convey through this chair how distinctive and fragile the Arctic is, how global warming has made life even tougher for the already at-risk polar bears to those who fail to register a deeper understanding of the Arctic today. This chair was inspired and designed to pay tribute to Ludovico Einaudi, an Italian musician who performed while floating in the Arctic Ocean in front of the Wahlenbergbreen glacier in Svalbard, Norway.
Design concept
The concept of this chair was inspired by the piano recital performed by Italian pianist “Elegy for the Arctic” was composed in the hopes of bringing more attention to the preservation of the Arctic glaciers.
I was deeply touched when I saw the glacier fall during his performance and I began to think further about what I could do as a designer to call for the public’s attention towards this hauntingly fragile place that is so worthy of our protection.
Image Board
mood- struggle, freezing
inspiration-iceberg, spider web
Through the combination of glass and geometric lines formed by aluminum bars, the conventional image of a chair is reversed to make the audience feel uncomfortable visually and physically while seated. It is meant to provoke further thoughts of the Arctic’s wild inhabitants that are endangered as global warming threatens their resources and chances for survival.
Prototype
To prove that this design can withstand reasonable weight, I visited countless metal processing factories and was finally able to find a metalwork master who appreciated my design and was willing to help me. After discussions, I modified parts of my design and asked the master to weld the bars together one by one according to their size. Afterwards, the bars were fixed firmly on top of two pieces of tempered glass allowing it to bear the weight of an adult.
Reflection
In the second semester of my sophomore year, I contacted numerous factories for someone willing to produce this chair according to the specifications of my design. I encountered many setbacks and challenges during the process; I also learned how to communicate with the metalwork master as a designer. Due to my selection of materials, various factors such as load-bearing and comfort were duly considered in the design.
Even now, I am still very satisfied with my piece.