╳ Tokujin Yoshioka’s ‘Venus Chair’ is definitely not comfortable…but it does sparkle as magically! The ‘chair’ is composed of hundreds of tiny crystals that grow on a basic polyester fibre structure. The support material is immersed in a large water tank, in which a special mineral has been dissolved, and this gradually deposits onto the substrate and thus grows the Venus Chair. ╳ Yoshioka is actually only responsible for the first part of the process, the second part he leaves up to Mother Nature who requires about a month to complete her task. And there's no rush, since these are one-off pieces. Today, you can conjure up all kinds of things with a computer, he explains, outlining his concept, but a shape created by nature, however, is more beautiful than we can imagine.
╳ Yoshioka already used crystals in earlier projects, for example his design for the Swarovski flagship store in the Tokyo district of Ginza. Also, the fact that he chose a chair as the basic form for this experiment should come as no surprise. Following the Honey-Pop Chair of 2001 and the Pane Chair of 2006, the designer has moved a step closer to a self-generating design with his Venus Chair.
╳ With the Honey-Pop Chair, a stack of thin paper was specially cut so it could be folded out like an accordion to form a seat and when someone sits down on it, the chair adjusts individually to the shape of the user's body. In the case of the Pane Chair from 2006, Yoshioka used a synthetic fibre block as the basic material, kneading it with his own hands, put into a baking form and baked in an oven. Now he is taking the chemical reaction a step further with his Venus Chair: the design is created not by changing the consistency but by actually growing it.
╳ How bio-inspirational.
╳ To view more of please follow the link below. www.tokujin.com/en/
╳ Images (top to bottom)
Tokujin Yoshioka grows his Venus Chair
The Venus Chair
Honey-Pop Chair
2001
Swarovski Flagship Store Ginza, Tokyo* 3
Tokujin Yoshioka, 2006 - 2008
