Folding safari chair and director’s chair as a modern chair typology has been well established during 20th century. Bacchette is our exploration into a new, contemporary interpretation of those chairs while maintaining their familiarity and the emotional quality.
We found fascinating that these typology of chairs remind us of warmer weather and perhaps an evening spent outdoor, and that is quite unique for a chair to invoke fairly universal emotional connections.
What makes Bacchette chair striking yet familiar is the beech wood sticks that form backrest and short arms that seem almost floating with minimal steel folding structure that are barely visible. We studied the structure carefully to leave only the essential elements, and the material choices were made based on their functional and tactile qualities with attentions to sustainability.
Development
The below is the first rough 1:1 mock-up we made to test the concept last year in our previous studio. Made with ø12mm steel tube, instead of solid wire, and pine planks, it was just about strong enough to sit on, but gave us enough confidence to push ahead.
Then the 1:1 production mock-up was made by Zilio A&C earlier this year. It was still without the fabric slings from upholstery yet. We brought some test sling we made at our studio and discussed the details and stitching of fabric, as well as check details on metal legs and wooden parts.
