written statement of purchased chair

The chair that I intend to redesign was manufactured by an Australian company called Aramea Furniture located in Sunshine, Melbourne. Aremea specialize in chairs, tables and any seating requirements in Commercial, Hospitality, Education, Healthcare, Industrial and Domestic applications. My chair could have potentially been used as a school or a dining chair. I could also imagine it being in any waiting or reception room. The chair is made from vinyl and tubular steel. Vinyl is a fabric that is manufactured to look like leather. It is stamped to create the creases and pores you’d find in real leather. Vinyl is used as a cheaper and environmentally friendly substitute for leather. Vinyl fabric is usually composed of reinforcing polyester scrim pressed between PVC films. The layers are joined by heat pressure or an adhesive to form a single ply. Tubular steel is used to construct the frame of the chair. To create the tubular shape, strips of steel goes through a forming process in which the sheet is passed through a series of rollers. The tube then goes through a welding process where the tubes go through a set of squeeze rolls which forges the hot edges of the tube together. To remove the weld bead from the outer side of the tube, it goes through a process called scarfing where the bead is cut to ensure a smooth outer surface. The components that make the frame of the chair are welded together. The chair is also constructed with screws that joins the back rest and frame together. The seat requires staples to join the vinyl fabric with the timber base. Stitching is also seen in the upholstery.

CAD drawing

photo essay of purchased chair

front view

perspective view

side view

back view

demonstrates the welding

demonstrates how the chair is constructed

close up of joining mechanisms

close up of stitches seen in the upholstery

week 2 exploded drawing

Detailed Investigation

a) exploded perspective view

b) Contextual essay

ALVAR AALTO, ARMCHAIR 41 PAIMIO

Alvar Aalto was a Finnish architect and a leading modern furniture designer of the 20^th century. Some of Aalto’s iconic works include his chair “Paimio” (1931) with bentwood elements and his vase “Savoy” (1936) which demonstrates Aalto’s foundation for organic design. Aalto rejected artificial materials such as steel tubing for his furniture. Instead, Aalto’s style included the use of wood a “form- inspiring, profoundly human material.” Aalto’s use of organic forms inspired many designers after him. Aalto’s unique style grew out of passion for painting and a fascination for the works of cubist artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Brague.

The frame of “Arm Chair 41 Paimio” is made from laminated birch, a timber plentiful in Finland. The seat is made from plywood painted in white or black. The timber gets its form with the process of wood bending. The process includes layering plywood veneer with evenly spread glue in between. The veneers are then placed into the mould. The clamps are tightened around the mould to hold the veneer in the desired shape.

By the time “Arm Chair 41 Paimio” was made in 1931, Modernism had entered popular culture. Mainstream Modernism consisted of straight edges, simple shapes and new materials to eliminate ornamentation, inspired by the Bauhaus movement. In contrast, because the Industrial Revolution came late to Scandinavia, designers such as Aalto created modern design using traditional materials such as wood.

NGV Sketches and photo essay

The material interests me, may be incorprated into my design.

Close up of how steel tubing joins.

 Demonstrates joining mechanism.









I really like the look of formed plywood.









I would rather have a soft seat as seen in this chair than a hard one.











Again, demonstrates how the two parts join.

LCW Chair 1945
Charles Eames, Ray Eames
U.S.A 1916-88

Armchair 41 Paimio 1931
Alvar Aalto
Finland 1898-1976

Armchair LCI, 1928
LE CORBUSIER, Pierre JEANNERET, Charlotte PERRIAND
Cassina, Italy