Formful Wood. Explorative Furniture

MARIO RINKE, FLORIAN HAUSWIRTH [EDS.]
FORMFUL WOOD
EXPLORATIVE FURNITURE

JOSEPH SCHWARTZ
PREFACE
4
MARIO RINKE AND FLORIAN HAUSWIRTH
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT A PLYWOOD SEAT!
8
CHRISTOPH SCHINDLER
REFERENCING AS AN EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS
15
ALESSANDRO ORESTE TELLINI
EDUCATIVE CRAFT
23
FLORIAN HAUSWIRTH
DESIGNING IN THE WORKSHOP—THINK WITH YOUR HANDS
35
OBJECTS IN PROGRESS
RAOUL DUBOIS, SVEN HÖGGER, SAMIRA MUSTER, FABIAN REINER,
VALENTIN RIBI, MANON ZIMMERLI, MAXENCE RYAN, ALEXANDRA GRIEDER,
NICOLAS HARTER, ZIU BRUCKMANN, DEIARA KOUTO, ILGHAR DADGOSTARI,
JOSHUA RITTER, LEA BISSIG, LEONIE HOCHSTRASSER, LORENA ADLER,
LUKAS TOPPLER, MELINA MICHAELIDES
43
GALLERY
RAOUL DUBOIS, SVEN HÖGGER, SAMIRA MUSTER, FABIAN REINER,
VALENTIN RIBI, MANON ZIMMERLI, MAXENCE RYAN, ALEXANDRA GRIEDER,
SIMON WÜST, NICOLAS HARTER, ZIU BRUCKMANN, DEIARA KOUTO,
ILGHAR DADGOSTARI, LEA BISSIG, LEONIE HOCHSTRASSER,
LORENA ADLER, LUKAS TOPPLER, MELINA MICHAELIDES, MERET TRÖSCH,
NADIA HUBER MEICHTRY, NATALIE AGREDA, NILS WIDMER,
OLEKSANDRA MEDVEDEVA, SELINA CADRUVI, URSINA HASLEBACHER,
VIVIANE STÜSSI, AYNUR TURUNC
81
OBJECTS IN PROGRESS
MERET TRÖSCH, NADIA HUBER MEICHTRY, NATALIE AGREDA, NILS WIDMER,
OLEKSANDRA MEDVEDEVA, SELINA CADRUVI, URSINA HASLEBACHER,
VIVIANE STÜSSI, AYNUR TURUNC
146
SEBASTIAN KRAFT
GRAIN ORIENTATION, GROWN AND SHAPED
165
MARIO RINKE
THE FORM AS AN IMPRINT OF AN IDEA
175
NICOLAI DE GIER
TECTONICS
187
CONTRIBUTORS / TABLE OF FIGURES
199

FORMFUL WOOD
EXPLORATIVE FURNITURE

PREFACE
JOSEPH SCHWARTZ
4

Can there be a more enticing and challenging task for students, even if ultimately
not particularly complex, than to design, create—and yes—make with their own
hands “formful wood”—also known as stools, chairs and benches, even small
pieces of furniture—within an interdisciplinary study setting? Contemplations of
this nature have taken on current prominence, especially since the label “formful
wood” is a nod to the distinguished peculiarity of the designs of Alvar Aalto.
Courtesy of Artek, the furniture company that accompanied the course, Alvar Aalto’s
designs have been incorporated into our design semester. This is therefore an
experiment which was nurtured into reality at the Lucerne University of Art and
Design where it became embedded in the object design philosophy, as well as at
the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich where it was incorporated into structural
design courses. Both institutions were very energized due to the successful
debut of the courses in 2015.
While the main aim of the object design course is to promote researchbased
design that appeals to the senses and provides responsible and compelling
solutions to challenges of today’s cultural and social environment, the professorship
of Structural Design at the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich
places the focus on the recognition of interaction between internal forces and
forms of load-bearing elements and purposefully applies it to the architectural
design process. The insight that the concept of construction controls the distribution
of internal forces within broad boundaries is key to creative structural
design and makes possible in the first place the playful articulation of the tectonics
of bearing and joining.
With a focus on bending wood as a starting point, surprising design ideas
were uncovered, accompanied by corresponding prototypes built by the students.
Everything centered around construction, transformation and manipulation at the
intersection of design and art. The participants soon became aware that at the
beginning of the process there is a need to discover and acquire knowledge not only
of the method of construction itself, but also of many other aspects such as materiality,
flexibility, stability, functionality, identity and interaction with the user. Very
helpful in this regard was the ongoing examination of Artek’s philosophy, which,
modern manufacturing techniques notwithstanding, does not consider furniture
as an industrial artifact, but rather an expression of socio-philosophical concepts
and therefore an echo of its time.
The students’ exposure to artisan skills at the RAPLAB workshop at ETH
Zurich served as a vivid tool that greatly aided the introduction to and understanding
of principles of construction. What are the ways in which wood can be bent?
What are the options created by the layering of veneer? How can individual parts
be joined; how do they respond to gentle or vigorous touch? What is the effect of
space between parts? What, ultimately, is the relationship between force, material
and form? How can a concept be taken to its ultimate conclusion, developed
5

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT A PLYWOOD SEAT!
10

A TEACHING PROJECT TRANSCENDS DISCIPLINES
This complex of topics forms the basis of our design workshop. In spring 2018, the
Object Design department at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts
and the Chair of Structural Design at ETH Zurich’s Department of Architecture
launched a joint course that was taught to 28 students from both universities with
the goal of designing and building seating objects made of plywood, as a collaborative
effort. We received support from Artek, our industry partner, whose name
combines the words art und technology, and who still employs the same, delicate
handcrafted manufacturing processes that became the hallmark of their furniture.
Artek’s so-called L-leg, a narrow curved chair leg, also dubbed the “little sister of
the architectural column” by co-founder Alvar Aalto, is a typical example of these
processes and became a launching pad for the design project. It is made using a
combination of steam bending and molded plywood, whereby irregular cuts are
sawn into the end of a piece of wood which was then bent and glued together
with another piece using veneer strips. Three legs of this nature are subsequently
mounted to the seat by the user himself. The uniqueness of this type of furniture
turned it into a cult object. The intricate process could only be assembled through
extensive testing in the workshop. Artek thus combines the curiosity and experimentation
of design with craftsmanship and industrial practices. This philosophy
makes Artek an ideal partner for our design workshop. Object design and architecture,
craftsmanship and industry—crossing the boundaries of individual disciplines
and schools of thought was a central goal pursued by the workshop and gave rise
to a interdisciplinary research and work process among students and supervisors.
The workshop started off with participants getting to know each other, as
well as the industrial and craft work processes and materials. The head of Artek’s
manufacturing operations in Turku, Finland, explained typical manufacturing methods
via video conference. It was impressive how much these processes resembled
time-honored manufacturing methods—a continuity that was also reflected
in remarkably consistent products. This marked an important starting point for the
students: processes were experimented with and used as springboards for new
functions and forms. A visit to a veneer factory also made a significant impression
on the students. There, they were able to observe how thin veneers were cut from
a tree trunk and underwent further processing. Those two encounters, Artek’s
L-leg and the flat veneers in the factory, opened wide the range of experimental
approaches presented by the designs. Once the students had received a detailed
introduction to manufacturing techniques and tools in the workshop, they settled
down and began to work on their projects.
11

REFERENCING AS AN EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS
inter- or transdisciplinary process. If a design concept cannot be detached from
its reference, we are tempted to call it a copy. A carefully conceived product, on
the other hand, equally creates closeness and distance to its reference, updates
it, and gives it another artistic status.
7
Moreover, the new design might become
a new model itself. A well-referenced project is as much culturally involved as it
is independent.
Despite the omnipresence of referencing, there are surprisingly few written
statements on its use and meaning in product design, with the discipline being
in the shadow of art and architecture history. 8 As an intellectual tool for our future
handling of references at the school of art and design, this paper reflects some
attitudes based on experience gathered from selected design modules. [→ FIGURE 1]
MATERIAL AND SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS
Referencing a material from a different context is one of the common referencing
methods in product design, let us think for instance of Marcel Breuer’s Wassily
Chair (1925) related to tubular steel from bicycle frames or the Aluminum Group
by Charles and Ray Eames (1958) inspired by the construction elements of contemporary
airplanes.
In the design module “Praise of the Light,” participants were to conceive
a lamp. The school provided shōji paper as a material used in traditional Japanese
architecture for covering room dividers. As a second design inspiration, LED filament
bulbs were specified, the low operating temperature would allow the positioning
of the bulb very close to the paper. Although only one factor had been
changed compared to the well-known Akari luminous sculptures (1958) by Isamu
Noguchi, novel formal languages were created. [→ FIGURE 3 and 4]
CONSTRUCTION
Constructive details are an important factor in formulating the character of a
design and often refer to areas outside the design theme. A well-known example
would be the Knotted Chair (1996) by Marcel Wanders, in which knitted joints
become stiff through a change of material from wool to carbon fiber.
In the project “Construction and Transformation,” we collaborated with
the Chair of Structural Design at ETH Zurich. 9 From the perspective of product
design, we had noticed that many students had insufficient intuition about structural
concepts including dimensioning and therefore felt the need to set an appropriate
impulse.
We asked the participants to design a piece of furniture that is able to
bear the load of a person and apply an appropriate structural principle. Comparing
the results, we had the impression that many students understood the methods
of structural design as a formal vocabulary, which they incorporated into their
designs. [→ FIGURE 5 and 6]
18

CHRISTOPH SCHINDLER
HISTORY
Historical embedding and formal recourse help us not to lose touch while something
new develops. There are different strategies for dealing with design history.
If we think of design history, we usually think of a design history “canon” and
emphasized “key objects,” embedded in an art–historical model that moves from
one “great movement” to the next. 10 If a designer imitates a style or age, we call
this attitude “retro.” A redesign of such a key object is labelled “approbiation,” like
Stefan Zwicky’s redesign of Le Corbusier’s LC2 in concrete and reinforcement.
Together with a team of design historians and in the context of a vintage
design salon, we carried out the module “Memories of Objects and Their Stories”:
the participants chose a historical reference from the living area and placed it in
a contemporary context. The references were not specific designs from known
designers, instead they belonged to a certain type of vernacular, indigenous and
anonymous family of objects, a kind of Bernard Rudofsky approach transferred
11
to design. [→ FIGURE 7 and 8]
CONTEXT
A reference to a related or entirely different discipline gives the customer the impression
of moving in a field that he or she can hardly enter otherwise. Such a reference
is the fuel filler cap of all generations of the Audi TT since 1998, which is formally
reminiscent of automobile racing and thus emphasizes the sportiness of the car.
Under the title “Inspired by Textile Objects,” we offered a module that
drew its inspiration from the digital archive of the Zurich silk industry, which was
designed by a research group at our school. 12 We were interested in how peculiarities
of textile patterns—rapport, weaving techniques, patterns, colors—could
be transferred from one design discipline to the other and, practically speaking,
from flat textiles to the third dimension of product design. The openness of the
question allowed a broad solution space. It was hard to tell whether the resulting
objects can still be categorized as product designs, became art, are between
the disciplines, introduce a new field or whether the disciplines have dissolved.
CONCLUSIONS
For our School of Art and Design, design modules based on referencing are among
the most appreciated courses, both internal among students and teachers as well
as external colleagues from our discipline. For most students, this is the moment
in their curriculum when they start to relate themselves to the world. They interact
with practice, disciplines, history and cultures and are introduced to the complexities
of design.
In contrast to specialized courses in any of the chosen fields, a design
module does not set out to give a complete overview of a field. Correspondingly,
students do not learn in depth about the field of their reference, instead they
reflect on its relation to product design. Moreover, they gain an awareness that
instead of just one perspective on the world there are many, depending on place,
culture, profession, as well as ethnicity, age, religion, gender and so on. Referencing
is more of a method than a content.
19

DESIGNING IN THE WORKSHOP—THINK WITH YOUR HANDS
36

FLORIAN HAUSWIRTH
ing or CNC milling. Conversely, it is not so easy to translate real handmade objects
into 3D data. However, that data is needed for precise assembly or later production.
And yet, industry and developers of CAD systems have not shown much interest
in this transfer. Nonetheless, for designers of real products, this interplay is crucial.
Apple Chief Designer Jonathan Ive is also among those who have observed
a growing division between digital design and practical manufacturing in education:
“So many of the designers that we interview don’t know how to make stuff,
because workshops in design schools are expensive and computers are cheaper.
(…) That’s just tragic, that you can spend four years of your life studying the design
of three dimensional objects and not make one.“ 3
DESIGNING IN THE WORKSHOP
My open-minded approach to designing in the workshop has been molded by time
spent training and working as a model maker. During my apprenticeship, all work
followed a precise plan, and I subsequently had to teach myself to break free from
this structure. During my stint in the development department of the furniture company
Vitra, I began to take notice of how things seemed to center around a “materialized
idea,” its form, rather than the actual physical object (model). Occasionally, we
had to painstakingly assemble objects for 2–3 weeks only to saw them into pieces
within seconds and reassemble them with great effort and prescribed precision.
It is not easy to describe the design process in the workshop. At the most
fundamental level, all steps should be designed in such a way that the unforeseen
is taken into account. Unpredictable things can happen “on a whim” or in the form
of “mistakes” that creep in but may also point to another, perhaps simpler way
of doing things. This “openness in planning” could be compared to interactions
between craftsman and designer. Especially when one gets a little tired or bored,
this can be an exciting thing. Even a situation or activity where a person is unfocused
or absent-minded can give rise to something new. “To me, boredom is the
mother of creativity. And also curiosity.” 4 says designer Ron Arad.
Communication in the workshop is more direct and informal than in an
office setting. It is never unclear what you are talking about. I always find “work
discussions” with students very interesting. Conversations can go off in various
directions, which then require further decisions. Some people need confirmation
and encouragement while others need to be challenged by provocation when they
become bogged down or get carried away with implementation issues. In addition,
random visitors can be a disruptive force that breathes life into a process.
An ideal scenario has students learning a practical trade mingle with
students of a different educational background in the same class, because this
makes them rise to challenges through their different approaches. To put it pointedly,
the nerds and the uninitiated need to bounce ideas off each other during the
design process. People will dig deep into a subject matter only to pull back later
to analyze the process with a sense of detachment. Compare this with the feedback
scenario that is associated with the design process “Double Diamond”: “The
Double Diamond is a simple visual map of the design process, divided into four
distinct phases—Discover, Define, Develop and Deliver.” 5 Irrespective of the discipline,
this process always allows for different options to be examined and narrowed
down to a specific answer. This applies to both defining the problem and
determining the solution, which makes it a double diamond.
37

PULPO
L: 520 mm × W: 480 mm × H: 790 mm
The architectural moment, in the right-angled cutting of two L-legs by Alvar
Aalto, was the starting point for a long series of concrete designs. The focus lay
on both bent linear elements and on planar surfaces. A first concrete design led
to a frame that was composed of assembled, transformed Y-legs, over which a
large surface for sitting and two smaller surfaces for depositing the arms had
been arranged, all of them like deep-frozen cloths. Although both elements had
been derived from Artek examples, they were unable to form a sensible entity.
Furthermore, the production of the legs and their attachment was found to be
both impractical and too expensive. In an additional step, the rod-shaped legs
had also been reworked into surface-like elements. The individual parts were
sewn together at those points where they overlap or touch, which approaches
the sensuous impression of the textile surface.
The most important aspect of the Artek design was, however, the simplicity
of expression and, above all, the uncomplicated assembly. A direct joining
of these components became a central aspect of the next step. Starting once
more from the Artek stool, the design was revised and now based itself on a
seating surface with three identical legs, one of which now forms the backrest.
This new simplicity immediately expressed itself in its childlike, organic forms.
It was easy to stack the three identical, spoon-shaped legs and to pack them in
a space-saving manner. Furthermore, the assembly is simple and clear. Due to
its bent shape, the 7 mm thick cross-glued wood veneer has an enormous rigidity.
For weight reasons, the seating surface is hollow. This means that screws
can be simply pushed through and tightened with a nut.

RAOUL DUBOIS
[GALLERY] → 82
45

JOLICOEUR
L: 300 mm × W: 600 mm × H: 410 mm
What does a seating object look like which not only has to be elegant and sensuous,
but also has to be robust because of frequent use? The objective of the
proj ect was to develop a seat for public transportation facilities. A number of
free sketches led to important steps in the direction of a target form, where comfort
and simplicity are combined in curves. Extensive production tests led to a
seat that is constructed in one piece. A fixed inner and flexible outer formwork
was created for this purpose. In this first step, a lot of effort was spent on producing
a strong curvature, after which the seat had to be stabilized in a second
step, through a combination of these surfaces. The formwork, which had been
rebuilt with a lot of effort, made a still tighter curvature possible at this point.
The radical concept of a closed, simple and comfortable form led to a result
that expands the formal language of plywood and indicates additional potential.
54

MANON ZIMMERLI
[GALLERY] → 96
55

BOBI-STOOL 155
L: 520 mm × W: 374 mm × H: 300 mm
66

ILGHAR DADGOSTARI
[GALLERY] → 112
In the design, the name Artek stands for the connection between identity,
function and art. Despite modern production techniques, products are not
always considered as purely industrial artifacts. Instead, they are frequently
an expression of socio-philosophical concepts and, with that, representatives
of their time. In this sense, the project searches for forms that go beyond the
pure material and production technology.
Following this guiding principle, especially the use and the meaning of
symbolism have been made the focus of the creative process. The interaction
between form and material develops via numerous attempts that are made on
different scales. Due to the material properties of cardboard, the initial tests
and first development of forms were carried out in this material. The designs
developed this way are then worked out more precisely in their form by using
a milling machine. A model is created using a scale of 1:3 or 1:5 and then made
of aircraft plywood, after which it is examined for strengths and weaknesses.
On the basis of the achieved results, weak points were strengthened in the final
design and fixed with screws. Unlike other projects, the form of the object is
not created by using a press mold. Instead, it is the result of an active deformation
process of the wet wood.
This has led to the creation of an abstract object that can be used as
seating furniture, both in the home area and in public institutions, such as galleries
or museums. The basic concept of the form is designed to promote a dialog
between various cultural, social and historical contexts. 67

HENK
L: 520 mm × W: 260 mm × H: 500 mm
Very early on in the project, the potential of a folding chair was recognized and
investigated with a first model. This consisted of four bent U-parts, which could
be folded in two directions and which generated unusual shadows in light. This
trial model was the starting point for the project. While the folding function was
integrated, the radii of the U-shaped of the chair legs were changed. In this way,
different functional models were created with strongly reduced shapes, so that
the intersections of the U-legs could come into their own.
For the production of the chair legs, flexible and airplane plywood were
used, which was cut into strips and coated with polyurethane wood adhesive,
after which it was wrapped around the prepared form made of MDF. A shaping
machine was then used to remove the unnecessary material. The two forms of
the seating surface meet when the chair is folded open. The two selected shapes
form a rounded end to the chair legs, together with the cushion and the leather.
Henk stands for lightness and mobility. If required, the volume of the
chair can be reduced through the folding function, so that it is easier to store
it. The user has the choice of using this in the living room, on the veranda or
while camping.
78

MELINA MICHAELIDES [GALLERY] → 124
79

PULPO
82

RAOUL DUBOIS
[PROGRESS] ← 44
83

JOLICOEUR
96

MANON ZIMMERLI
[PROGRESS] ← 54
97

SPLIT STOOL
106

NICOLAS HARTER
[PROGRESS] ← 60
107

MYCRET SOLID STOOL
114

LEA BISSIG
[PROGRESS] ← 70
115

L //KE
126

MERET TRÖSCH
[PROGRESS] → 146
127

STOOL 62
134

OLEKSANDRA MEDVEDEVA [PROGRESS] → 154
135

BIRK BANK
L: 1350 mm × W: 450 mm × H: 800 mm
Based on Alvar Aalto’s “Stool 60” and its L-legs, as well as the concept of self-assembly,
a modular system for a seating bench was developed, which can be used
in many different ways. Variations in the legs of the bench play an important role
in this regard. These are bent with the help of cuts and steam, and then glued
together with inserted veneers. The legs are made of maple wood, and the parts
for the arms and back are manufactured from spruce tree wood. Due to the way
in which they are joined, the legs appear to wind themselves around the seating
surface, the back and the armrests, as if they were plants. This organic motif
helps to form the bench into an entity that offers great comfort, despite the seriality
of the elements: since the backrest and the armrests are bent, the body can
comfortably snuggle up to the bench.
BIRK BANK is delivered with exchangeable legs, which can be combined
with various armrests, backrest and seating surfaces. This means that this bench
can be adapted individually to each place where it is used.
150

NATALIE AGREDA [GALLERY] ← 130
151

PENKKI
L: 1100 mm × W: 600 mm × H: 900 mm
The design of the “Penkki” has two roots. Firstly, the construction and the
esthe tics of the L-legs that were used for the “Stool 60” of Artek, which serve
as a technical foundation for its production, and secondly the highly symbolic
Swiss “Landibank” of Burri, which serves as an esthetic reference. The radical
simplicity of these motifs was recorded in a comic-like pencil sketch, which in
turn became the basis for its further development. The objective was to come
as close as possible to the esthetics of the two-dimensional sketch in a three-dimensional
space, without appearing to be grotesque. This is why rather rough
forms were used and why the edges were given an imperfect finish. The object
was manufactured according to the Artek example, whereby the cantilevered
legs were produced with the help of a counter-form. Simple spruce wood planks
were used for the seating surfaces and the backrest. Through the esthetics
of repetition, the bench wins dynamism, and the straight hardwood is given a
snappy touch. Through its direct connection with the original sketch, the creative
process is conveyed by the object itself. Here seating furniture has been
created in wood, which gives both a playful and a minimalist impression, while,
due to its lightness, giving a new interpretation to cozy sitting in the living room.
This has led to the creation of a niche product in the crossover between a stool
and a bench, indoor and the outdoor space and between two cultures, namely
Finland and Switzerland, as a cantilevered bench for the living room.
158

URSINA HASLEBACHER [GALLERY] ← 138
159

GRAIN ORIENTATION, GROWN AND SHAPED
FIGURE 1 Oak outer string timbers required for shipbuilding
FIGURE 2 Structure of a wood cell
FIGURE 3 Stress distribution in curved wood
FIGURE 4 and 5 Hay sled

SEBASTIAN KRAFT
the material does not have to stretch or compact. By placing a metal bending rail
on the outer (pull) side, the tensile component can be completely removed from
the wood. Metal has a considerably higher tensile modulus (and a higher tensile
strength) than wood and takes over the tensile stress. As a result, the wood
“only” has to compress—on the inside now several times over. According to a rule
of thumb, hardwoods such as beech, oak, ash and elm can be bent by a minimum
radius of three to four times the thickness of the piece in question. Conifers, on
the other hand, only allow 18 times the radius. 1 [→ FIGURE 3]
DAMPNESS
In preparation, the air-dry wood is moistened with water. When moisture is supplied,
the cells swell and the properties of the cell building blocks change. E-modulus
and strength decrease. Moistening beyond the fibre saturation point does not
further soften the wood, contents are washed out if necessary and cell cavities
filled with water can lead to breaking outwards on the pressure side during bending.
TEMPERATURE
Temperature has a great influence on the mechanical properties of the wood.
In combination with wood moisture, an increase in temperature leads to a loosening
of the fiber composition and to plastic deformation (in contrast to elastic
deformation, in which the object returns to its original state after loading/bending).
Elongation now causes much less stress than with dry, unheated wood. The
deformability of the cell walls allows for strong compression. Wood should be
continuously warmed to 80° C and moistened up to the fiber saturation point.
GROWTH RINGS
A load in the tangential direction is advantageous, i.e. the cross-section to be bent
should preferably have standing growth rings (90° to the bending direction). Grain
orientation should be parallel to the longitudinal axis. Cut fibers break outwards
during bending, the piece has a reduced load-bearing capacity.
METHODS
The wood is steamed or boiled in a closed container, then bent and fixed as quickly
as possible over a press mold or several points. After cooling it is loosened and
can be further processed. Since the wood springs back a little after forming, the
bending form must be 10–20 % beyond the target geometry. Additional fixation
over several days or weeks—e. g. with a clamping set or nailed strips—prevents
slow resetting further. Each wooden part takes on an individual shape after bending,
therefore it is important for parts that are in a series production that they are
fastened at several points (at least three) when installed.
167

THE FORM AS AN IMPRINT OF AN IDEA
FIGURE 1 US Patent, John Henry Belter, “Manufacturing Furniture,” 1858

MARIO RINKE
itself in England as a metaphor for the cheap and deceptive. The French furnier
of the 16th century still stood for adornment and meant covering a piece of wood
with a nobler one.
The development of plywood as we know it today is mainly the work of
two people whose patents dominated the discourse in the USA in the 1850s and
1860s: Belter and Mayo. The cabinetmaker John Henry Belter (Johann Heinrich
Belter), who immigrated from Germany, owned a furniture factory in New York
and received numerous patents for machines and plywood techniques. Interestingly,
in the documents of his ‘pressed-work’ there are even depictions of press
molds and arrangements of the lamellas [→ FIGURE 1]. Belter only briefly names the
essence of the well-known plywood, the gluing of thin layers of wood in layers, in
order to then focus on the actual application: “giving increased beauty, strength,
and other valuable qualities to what is termed ‘pressed-work’ furniture (…)”. 4 Belter
used his technique to make the back of a chair. Until then, an object produced
in this way had been produced flat or curved in only one direction because of its
material characteristics. Belter produced a closed tubular shape from which he
cut out the individual back segments. By means of the tubular shape, he shaped
his curved chair backs: In the direction of the tubular shape, he bent the individual
staves, in the tangential direction he pushed them together at slanted edges,
similar to the wall of a barrel. This allowed him to easily achieve a double curvature,
which provided greater stability and made the element lighter. For esthetic
and technical reasons, the outermost layer was to be vertical and—to give the customer
a good impression—made of rosewood. Similar to his patent for the rosewood
bed 5 in 1856—for its frame he developed a circular, curved plywood surface—the
specially shaped wooden component is a replica of an established shape
yet using a new process. Plywood is therefore a practical, lighter and more compact
substitute for a multi-part and multi-stage construction method. It is only
applied to the part of the furniture whose geometric complexity normally meant
a greater construction effort.
In 1865 John K. Mayo’s patent, on the other hand, aimed at a general production
of materials. 6 He first described the process of artificially joining the layers:
“The invention consists in cementing or otherwise fastening together a number
of these scales of sheets, with the grain of the successive pieces, or some
of them, running crosswise or in diversely from that of the others (…).” The specific
direction of the timber grains takes on a specific arrangement and the layers
neutralize each other to a certain extent. For this new wood building material,
the scale boards, he had specific forms and technical applications in mind, as
he explains in a patent in 1868. 7 There, elements in the form of tubes or hollow
boxes are depicted and described in order to be used as lightweight and particularly
load-bearing bridge beams. Constructively, they refer to the contemporary
wrought-iron components whose typical forms they adopt. But also the connection
details, e. g. sleeve joints and, if necessary, rivets, are taken over. Scaled
boards are produced as “improved material,” which produce different technical
forms. Mayo’s collage-like drawing [→ FIGURE 2] thus stands for the principle of construction:
The individual, the thin, narrow layers of wood, are transformed into a
new, continuous mass whose plate-like form is determined by the industrially executed
layering only. This continuous mass already has a new artificial shape, i.e.
the straight plate, which is combined to form boxes or is constantly curved to the
shape of a tube. The new nature of the material, its layering with its specific directions
and the overall curvature, is laid out in the reorganization and fixation of the
177

TECTONICS
FIGURE 4 Paimio lounge chair, Alvar Aalto, 1930
FIGURE 5 Chieftain chair, Finn Juhl, 1949
FIGURE 6 Romans’ curule seat, Sella Curulis
FIGURE 7 PK22, Poul Kjærholm, 1955 FIGURE 8 PK 41, Poul Kjærholm, 1961
190

NICOLAI DE GIER
Technique prepares and works up the materials and gives form to them and to
the associated parts, partly through the techniques of adapting and finishing
them, but also through modes of joining the constituent elements that have been
adapted to the chosen material.
When new techniques are contrived, new possibilities of working with
existing materials arise. When the technique of steam bending was developed
by the Thonet brothers, new ways of designing furniture were rendered feasible.
Suddenly, it was possible to move, in a simple way, from the vertical to the horizontal
plane without having to do so via an assembly or via joining. Not only did
the new possibilities have an influence on the form, they also affected the whole
process of formation. Consequently, the world’s first industrial articles of furniture
could be mass-produced.
TECTONICS AS A FACTOR IN THE FORMATION OF MEANING
The formation of meaning in a given article of furniture’s construction depends
on the perceptions and associations fashioned actively by both the creator and
the viewer. How the furniture articles’ construction is perceived and interpreted
and what meaning the architect has supplied to the construction, along with how
this is perceived by the viewer on the basis of his/her experiences, all depend to
a marked extent on the cultural horizon and on the political, social and economic
circumstances under which the articles have been created.
Certain articles of furniture carry more significance than others and this
establishment of meaning is crucial when we consider that some articles of furniture
make a deeper impression on us, regardless of what period of time they
have been created in, because they have been executed with an affirmative artistic
insistence that extends beyond their own contemporary time.
The tectonic articulation is the generator of the formation of meaning in
the manner of joining the elements. In other words, through a closer analysis of a
given article of furniture’s materially related adaptation and finishing, of its execution
with respect to form and of the significance of the joinings, the tectonic
idea of the work can be read. Tectonics unites the artistic purpose with the materiality,
the form and the technique.
“Architecture begins when two bricks are put carefully together.” 4
Mies van der Rohe
—
1 Werner Blaser. Joint and connection. Basel 1992
2 Kenneth Frampton. Studies in Tectonic Culture. The Poetics of Construction in the
Nineteenth and Twentieth century architecture. Cambridge, MA 1995
3 Anne Beim. Tektoniske visioner i arkitektur. Copenhagen 2004
4 Gustav Friederich Hetsch. Bemærkninger angaaende Kunst, Industri og Haandværk.
Copenhagen 1863
191

CONTRIBUTORS
NICOLAI DE GIER is Associate Professor, architect
MAA, graduated from The Royal Danish Academy
of Fine Arts, School of Architecture and trained as
a cabinetmaker. He is head of the Furniture master’s
program. Nicolai de Gier has published a number
of articles, papers and books on furniture and
design, participated in design talks, exhibitions, workshops
and documentaries about furniture design. He
co-founded and runs the design brand TAKT.
FLORIAN HAUSWIRTH is an industrial designer and
“industrial craftsman” thanks to his training as a
technical model maker. During his work as a prototype
builder and materials researcher at Vitra, he
learned various design approaches and also experienced
the transition from analog to digital design
in the product development of the furniture company.
Today he runs a design studio and label “Industrial
Craft” where he places machine processing and
handmade products in an equal relationship to each
other. Florian teaches on the Object Design Program
at the Lucerne School of Art and Design.
SEBASTIAN KRAFT is a carpenter and timber engineer.
From 2007–2011 he worked in the materials department
of the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Biel.
He has been self-employed since 2011 and develops
professional solutions for the application of wood and
derived timber products. Since 2014 he has been a
lecturer for wood theory at the Lucerne University of
Applied Sciences and Arts.
MARIO RINKE is a structural engineer and construction
historian, specialized in early reinforced concrete
and timber construction. He is a senior researcher at
the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich where
he has lectured since 2011, having been at the Lucerne
University of Applied Sciences and Arts since 2009.
He obtained his Diploma in civil engineering from the
Bauhaus University in Weimar in 2006 and his PhD
at ETH Zurich in 2013. After working as a structural
design engineer in London and Zurich, he runs his
own office in Zurich. Mario is a founding member of
the International Association of Structures and Architecture
(IASA) and regularly publishes in the fields of
architecture and construction.
CHRISTOPH SCHINDLER studied architecture at the
University of Kaiserslautern and received his doctorate
from ETH Zurich. Since 2005 he has been a partner
at schindlersalmerón in Zurich, responsible for
product development with a focus on contract furniture.
Since 2014 he has been Head of the Object
Design Program at the Lucerne School of Art and
Design.
JOSEPH SCHWARTZ has been full professor at the
Chair of Structural Design at the Department of Architecture
at ETH Zurich since 2008. He obtained his
Diploma in civil engineering from ETH Zurich in 1981
and his doctoral degree in 1989. Between 1989 and
1999 he lectured at several universities in Switzerland.
From 2001 to 2008 he was professor at the Lucerne
University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Joseph
Schwartz was associate partner of a consulting office
in Zug, Switzerland, from 1991 to 2001. Since 2002 he
has been the owner of a civil engineering office in Zug
involved in the design of building structures, in close
cooperation with several leading Swiss architects.
ALESSANDRO TELLINI studied industrial and product
design at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) and has a formal
education as a graphic designer from the Basel School
of Design Switzerland. He joined the Rapid Architectural
Prototyping Laboratory (Raplab) at the Department
of Architecture at ETH Zurich as Research Assistant
in 2009 and became director of the Raplab in 2011.
Alessandro is a lecturer at ETH and involved in different
teaching and research projects in the department, ranging
from design studios to elective classes and from
model building to large-scale prototypes. In 2017 he
co-founded Faber Atelier, his own small-scale design,
and furniture company.
STUDENTS OF ETH ZURICH Ziu Bruckmann, Raoul
Dubois, Alexandra Grieder, Nicolas Harter, Sven Högger,
Samira Muster, Fabian Reiner, Valentin Ribi, Maxence
Ryan, Simon Wüst, Manon Zimmerli
STUDENTS OF LUCERNE UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED
SCIENCES AND ARTS Deiara Kouto, Ilghar Dadgostari,
Lea Bissig, Leonie Hochstrasser, Lorena Adler,
Lukas Toppler, Melina Michaelides, Meret Trösch,
Nadia Huber, Natalie Agreda, Nils Widmer, Oleksandra
Medvedeva, Selina Cadruvi, Ursina Haslebacher,
Viviane Stüssi, Aynur Turunc, Joshua Ritter
199

TABLE OF FIGURES
NICOLAI DE GIER: TECTONICS
All images: Brian Buchard
FLORIAN HAUSWIRTH: DESIGNING IN THE WORKSHOP—
THINK WITH YOUR HANDS
All images: Lucerne School of Art and Design
SEBASTIAN KRAFT: GRAIN ORIENTATION, GROWN AND SHAPED
1 Etienne-Nicolas Blondeau, Nicolas Claude Duval le Roy
and Honoré-Sébastien Vial du Clairbois. Dictionnaire
encyclopédique de marine. Paris 1783–1787
2–3 Wolfgang Fiwek. Holz biegen. Hannover 2014
4–21 Lucerne School of Art and Design
MARIO RINKE: THE FORM AS AN IMPRINT OF AN IDEA
1 John Henry Belter. US Patent “Manufacturing Furniture” 1858
2 John K. Mayo. US Patent “Materials for Bridges & c.” 1868
3 Otto Hetzer. UK Patent “Improvements in Composite
Wooden Structural Elements (…)” 1906
4 Carl Kersten. Freitragende Holzbauten. 2nd Edition. 1926
5 Brooklyn Museum
CHRISTOPH SCHINDLER: REFERENCING AS AN
EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS
1 Fabia Burkard
2 Wikimedia Commons
3 Andri Stadler
4 Wolfgang Mayer
5 Andri Stadler
6 Wikimedia Commons
7 Sophie Schüpbach
8 “Silk Memory” web database
ALESSANDRO ORESTE TELLINI: EDUCATIVE CRAFT
All images: Raplab ETH Zurich
INTRODUCTION
pp. 10/12 bottom: Lucerne School of Art and Design / ETH Zurich
p. 12 top: artek
OBJECTS IN PROCESS
All images: Lucerne School of Art and Design/ETH Zurich
LAST PAGES
pp. 192–195: Lucerne School of Art and Design/ETH Zurich
pp. 196/197: Andri Stadler

DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCT
A PLYWOOD
SEAT!

Design and construct a plywood seat! Based on the famous L-leg, which was designed by the architect Alvar Aalto for
the Finnish furniture company Artek, an experimental study project investigated the potential and design possibilities
of glued and bent wood. In close cooperation with Artek, 28 students of architecture at the ETH Zurich, and students of
object design at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, not only turned the material on its head, but also
questioned the sensuous qualities of the objects, their construction as an architectural place and sitting as a social
event. This volume presents the surprising and unknown aspects of a well-known material, illuminates the respective
creation process and reflects on its context in a variety of essays.
Contributions to the volume were made by Nicolai de Gier, Florian Hauswirth, Sebastian Kraft, Mario Rinke, Christoph Schindler
and Alessandro Oreste Tellini