Repose

Lounge chair for John G Williams Fine Furniture

The Repose lounge chair takes solid hardwood construction into a new space, with sweeping architectural forms rendered in solid timber that are normally only attempted with pressed laminates. The Repose design is aesthetically striking and intentionally pushes towards the ‘art piece’ end of the spectrum, combining rich surfaces with clean modern curves. The chair is ergonomically designed to support the posture in a comfortable and yet alert manner, encouraging the user to focus their energies - perhaps to "re-pose".

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Repose by John G Williams

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Lounge chair by John G Williams

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John G Williams Repose

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Repose Lounge chair Media Articles

Access our collection of Repose articles, ready for use and offered in languages: English.

Unique Properties

The Repose lounge chair is constructed from solid timber. The curved form is realized by an extreme form of the 'coopering' process - similar to the process used to construct round barrels from staves of timber.

Tags

Lounge, chair, wooden, artisanal, Danish, timber, art

Production Technology

This chair is not moulded, as some might expect, but is formed from solid timber. The deep sweeping form of the seat is made by laminating various pieces of timber, with angled edges, to form the desired curves. The inside curves are machined into smooth curves with custom made tooling; but the arm uppers retain some of the segmented feel - smooth enough and yet conveying a sense of where the piece came from. The rear legs are steam bent, to retain the overall simplicity, and to attenuate and stabilize the top part of the chair arms. The backrest is also a curved laminated, solid-wood form. It would also be possible to add a thin seat cushion, or perhaps to re-conceive the entire backrest as a custom moulded leather cushion

Design Challenge

The major unknown was how strong the seat section would be in bending - in other words if someone sat on the arms, would they break? It became apparent that the arms would need additional support given the depth of the form, and the inevitable flexibility (despite steps taken to add strength in the manufacturing process). It was found that the support pins at the rear of the arms were sufficient to stabilize the entire form - which was confirmed through trial and error. Overall the challenge was to create a lounge chair that, despite being solid timber, would be as comfortable as an upholstered equivalent

Project Duration

The project was designed and the first prototype built in 4 weeks, starting Dec 2018 and completing in Jan 2019 in Johannesburg South Africa. The design was refined and built in finished materials (Ash and Walnut) over the following 4 weeks.

Operation Flow

The user settles comfortably down into the seat using the armrests. Various postures are supported sitting comfortably down in the seat. Getting back out of the seat is very easy, and facilitated by the arms.

Research

The method drew heavily on the methods used in earlier designs (eg Zene submitted last year), but took these to extremes to experiment with the art of the possible. New tooling was developed, in the form of a type of drum sander run between centres on a woodworking lathe, to machine the large concave curves

Inspiration

The inspirational question behind Repose was: if the design language at the core of the Beke and Zene dining ranges were extended to lounge furniture, what would that look like? Could a form be created out of beautiful solid hardwood timber that was profoundly comfortable even though it may be challenging to manufacture? Could some sort of modern shell design be crafted out of solid timber to yield a beautiful striking new design ?

Image Credits

All images: John G Williams

Project Overview

Repose Lounge chair has been a Iron winner in the Furniture Design award category in the year 2018 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.

Iron Recognition

John G Williams was recognized with the coveted Iron A' Design Award in 2019, a testament to excellence of their work Repose Lounge chair.

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