PORTUGUESE ROOTS Chair by Alexandre Caldas |
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| DESIGN DETAILS | |||||
| DESIGN NAME: PORTUGUESE ROOTS PRIMARY FUNCTION: Chair INSPIRATION: The inspiration came from the tradition Portuguese chair from 1953 and the relation of the designer with it`s history. The idea was to add value to the original idea by building it in natural wood , cork and finished with natural oils .creating a more friendly chair for indoor use. UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Portuguese Roots Design History is unique. The chair is it self a storyteller as well. 60 years latter is also a tribute to those how create great products without knowing, that what they were doing was pure and good design. With this idea came the knowledge of the Portuguese arts and traditions. We also are a sustainable Country and for that reason the wood and cork where bound together. I had always present that although the project was mine it will also represent people, culture and a country. It was time to tell a story, and what might be better then trough design ? OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: The design is honest and simple and it was meant to last a life time . PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in 2012 in Lisbon and completed in the 21th of March of 2013 ( the international Harbor Day ) . It is now a big reference in the Portuguese art and design history . FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Furniture Design |
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: The production challenges of construction, made the choice of the wood to work a key factor . There are many "torsions " and forces applied in the center of the chair that we have to deal with in result of the back leg angle design. The first phase is selecting the wood by hand , then work them in CNC, but all the assemble must be made by very expert craftsman. We decided to finished them in natural oils to release the beauty of the wood, the joinery work and the environment issue that we care. The natural cork add extra comfort to the chair and is created buy cutting the cork in different angles and shapes. All this elements are base on Portuguese traditions as the original design. SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: The main wood used is the American Walnut and Ash , finished with 100% natural oils . The cork is Produced in Portugal ( number one producer in the world ) . the element of cork is natural and fire retardant .53x53x73 TAGS: aroundthetree, portuguese roots , portuguese chair, RESEARCH ABSTRACT: The research became many years ago , when i start working in the original factory that produced the reference model from 1953. I`ve been familiar with it`s history. One of the main research methodology was looking for book references and finding the man how saw the birth of the first chair in the 40`s ( Mr. Serafim with aprox. 83 years old now ). Other source of research was the internet. The result was a magnificent awakening of all society in general. Portugal uses thousands of this metal chairs in all the country since 1953 and few people knew it`s history. It was a cheap chair for outdoor restaurants and cafes, and know, with this new reborn design, the history is now being told in all over the place and the civil society is now valuing this heritage. To have an idea, in less then a year, this chair was required for many magazines, talk shows, and is now in the permanent exhibition in the Lisbon Museum of Design ( MUDE ). We think that in a short period of time we created a movement around it and a reference of good Portuguese design, since we are receiving lots of interest from all over the world . CHALLENGE: the biggest challenge of construction was the choice of the wood to work with . There are many " torsions " and forces applied in the center of the chair that we had to deal with in result of the back leg angle design . The original design was made in metal , and never thought to be made in Wood . We had some backs and forwards in the first prototypes, but we decided that the original idea has to be accomplished . We didn`t want to "distort " the design because of the difficulties . We knew that the original idea has to be present all the time . In an Historical perspective , we knew that to engage the society, people have to identify with the design and recognize it from their infant memories . that was one of the main challenges as well ADDED DATE: 2013-09-26 14:08:32 TEAM MEMBERS (1) : Alexandre Caldas ( designer ) IMAGE CREDITS: Alexandre Caldas, 2013. |
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| Visit the following page to learn more: http://www.aroundthetree.eu | |||||
| CLIENT/STUDIO/BRAND DETAILS | |
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NAME: AROUNDtheTREE Natural Design PROFILE: AROUNDtheTREE is a NEW Brand of Portuguese Design Furniture,It's a Team Project that believes in the Portuguese traditions and Cultural value giving it a whole new interpretation through the design of unique pieces. WOOD and NATURAL CORK are the two key elements in everything we do. By mixing advanced technology with old craftmanship methods, all combined with the single purpose of enhancing the nobility of the materials in use. Both these Tradition and Cultural heritages, make AROUNDtheTREE an original and exquisite brand, distinguished by having the perfect combination of the two elements present in it's DNA, Design and Nature. |
| AWARD DETAILS | |
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Portuguese Roots Chair by Alexandre Caldas is Winner in Furniture Design Category, 2013 - 2014.· Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with Alexandre Caldas. · Click here to register inorder to view the profile and other works by Alexandre Caldas. |
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