VELA

In 2017 Eugenio Perazza requested we design a light weight magnesium chair which expresses the unique qualities of magnesium. With this brief in mind we set out to design a chair that would be right for magnesium in both shape, structure and function. After a comprehensive exploration of the magnesium’s properties and manufacturing possibilities, we decided that we wanted to deal with stacking as a main idea, because due to the magnesium’s lightweight we thought that the best expression of it lightness in the context of a chair is to design a chair that is intended to be picked up.

Our aim was to design a long-lasting, sustainable, and elegant magnesium chair that would be the “go to” chair for cafes and restaurants, public spaces and residential spaces that needed the versatile functions offered by a light weight stacking chair. The goal of the design was to design a chair that would be comfortable, light-weight, compact and most importantantly have the ability to infinitely and tightly stack upwards.

Because we wanted the chair to fit for both residential and public environments, we designed the stackibikity to be discreet as possible. In addition, because we wanted the chair to be visually fit for indoor as well as outdoor, we wanted to find alternatives to element that are specifically identified with outdoor chairs such as draining holes. For this reason, we designed the seat so that water cascades to the openings in the backrest and eliminate the need of the draining holes in the seat. The project is a result of a fertile collaboration between Magis and our studio.