The Dream Chair may seem incredibly simple, but like a cloud in the sky, people can interpret it in many different ways. While some may see the Dream Chair as just a chair, others will see the near impossibility of its construction. A difficult project to say the least, it took patience and a patent to manipulate the thin plywood used to construct it.
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, the Dream Chair is his first ever production piece. He created it for the Danish company Carl Hansen & Son. Set to debut during the Milan Furniture Fair this year, the Dream Chair will be available this summer in oak and American walnut, with optional leather upholstery.
Masterfully Bent Plywood Seating
The Dream Chair by Tadao Ando Took Patience and a Patent to Build
Trend Themes
1. Simple Design Innovation - The Dream Chair’s simplicity but near impossibility of its construction provides an opportunity for designers to find new ways to create every day objects in innovative ways.
2. Patented Material Innovations - The patenting of a technology to bend thin plywood creates a new opportunity for material sciences to research and develop new applications for such technology.
3. Architectural Collaborations in Furniture Design - The collaboration of architects and furniture designers provides an opportunity to converge both elements to foster a new era of innovation in furniture design.
Industry Implications
1. Furniture Design - The Dream Chair provides an opportunity for furniture designers to incorporate patented materials and simple design features in their work.
2. Manufacturing - The patent for the technology to bend thin plywood creates an opportunity for manufacturers to utilize the new technology in other industries such as architectonic structures, transportation, and even medicine.
3. Material Science - The Dream Chair’s use of thin plywood and its patented technology opens up new possibilities for material scientists to develop and research new applications for this type of material and technology.