Spun chair by Thomas Heatherwick

British designer Thomas Heatherwick recently launched a chair shaped like a spinning top made of spun steel and copper.
The limited-edition Spun chair, produced for London gallery Haunch of Venison, is similar in form to Heatherwick’s rotation-moulded plastic chair for Magis that was launched in Milan last month.

Developed through full size test pieces an ergonomic was established where seat, back and arms were all the same profile. The result is not immediately apparent as a chair and when upright looks more like a sculptural vessel. However, when lent on its side it forms a comfortable and functional chair that the sitter can rock from side to side in, or even spin round in a complete circle.
In October 2009 the studio produced a series of pieces using the craft of large scale metal spinning, traditionally used to make objects such as Timpani drums. The chairs are handmade by pressing sheets of metal against a rotating cast iron form using a paddle. Each chair is assembled from six metal spinnings, welded together and polished to produce a single unified form with a leather trim inlaid into the weight bearing rim.

A limited edition of metal Spun chairs is available through Haunch of Venison.

Client:
 Haunch of Venison
Dimensions: 
d88 x h65 cm
Materials:
 Brushed/Polished steel/copper
Date: 
2010