When Zilio A&C called on Sylvain Willenz to collaborate on its first tubular metal frame chair, it knew the result would be unique. The Belgian designer is renowned for creating intelligent products that reduce form, material and function to their essence.
In the case of the multi-purpose Upon chair, Willenz’s challenge was to find a new way of joining a form-pressed veneer backrest to a tubular metal frame. Rather than using screws or rivets that interrupt the surface of the backrest, the solution was a clever hidden joint that makes one appear to magically float above the other.
Providing the “magic” is a three-pronged insert in the metal frame. This is designed to meet three holes in the backrest, resolving the junction of the two materials in a seamless way. The detail allows the backrest to rise prominently above the metal frame and become the chair’s defining feature. Showcasing Zilio A&C’s expertise in advanced woodworking, the backrest tapers organically to just 6mm at the edges.
“There’s something really light, graphic and pure about it,” says Willenz. “And it has some real character too.” He compares the contoured shape of the backrest to something like a cartoon character. The chair is slim but has notable presence.
Eliminating all but the essential parts of Upon has practical advantages too. The joint detail means there are no unnecessary fixings, and the backrest having a reduced depth makes it possible to stack more chairs vertically.
“I like to find a clever and efficient way of putting something together,” Willenz says of his reductionist design approach. He compares Upon to his Torch light (2008), which features a flexible polymer body that grips a circular diffuser without the need for fixings. A similar exercise in reduction is the designer’s XXS mobile hard drive (2009), which encases the technology in one rubber sleeve rather than two halves of plastic that are screwed together.
Upon is a chair for all settings, whether home, office or café. At a time when our furniture needs are increasingly flexible, it provides comfort, strength and a pure expression. The chair can be adapted to have an upholstered seat, and an armchair option is currently being developed.
View more on Upon product page here.
Text by Riya Patel
Art direction by Tentsen