Formful Wood. Explorative Furniture

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.
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