#Connected - The Kadamba Gate, the Nordic Pioneer And Arco
Second part of our short series about Connected exhibition and the 9 tables and chairs created by designers during the lockdown. They had the support of the experts at Benchmark Furniture to produce their pieces now on show at the Design Museum until Oct. 11th.
Episode 2: The Kadamba Gate by Ini Archibong; The Nordic Pioneer by Maria Bruun and Arco by Maria Jeglinska-Adamczewska
This installation at the Design Museum showcases the results of a unique experiment that sets out to push the boundaries of what is possible with these timbers and to explore how designers and craftspeople adapted their working practices during lockdown.
The project demanded that both the designers and craftspeople at Benchmark Furniture work innovatively, by relying solely on digital communication and video conferencing, to bring the designers’ visions to life. This approach required a new level of trust in the makers, since the designers had no physical contact with their pieces whilst they were being made at Benchmark’s Berkshire workshop during the summer.
The resulting responses to the brief are incredibly diverse and personal, with a bold array of natural and stained finishes that bring these sustainable timbers to life in a new way. Each of the designs have challenged the makers with their complexity and attention to detail.
The Kadamba Gate by Ini Archibong (Switzerland)
Ini’s Kadamba Gate is driven by a strong narrative that guides the material choice as well as the piece’s construction. Both the table and bench function as outdoor pieces. The table has a metal base plate and frame that supports the tabletop. The sculptural underframe is made from irregular-shaped extrusions in multiple heights, inspired by the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.
This underframe is constructed from a mix of materials – American red oak, American cherry and thermally modified American red oak. The table’s top is laminated and machined, with a colourful gloss epoxy finish, and intricate removable brass detailing, which doubles as drainage for its outdoor environment.
Ini’s bench uses a similar construction as the table, with a metal frame cased within sculptural timber extrusions. The top has a subtle camber for drainage, and a removable vegetable-tanned leather seat pad with stitched perimeter, made by leather specialists Bill Amberg Studio.
Nordic Pioneer by Maria Bruun (Denmark)
Maria’s collection, Nordic Pioneer, offers a masterclass in Nordic design. With a purity to both the seating and to her gate-leg table, they are intentionally pared back, to let the materials and construction do the talking.
Made entirely in American maple, a key design detail is the elegant wooden hinge that runs the length of the tabletop, to lift and drop the leaf. Components for this hinge are turned and drilled to within a fraction of a millimetre, to ensure a smoothness of movement. Turned rounded feet intersect with the square profile of the table leg, and subtle tracks for the gate legs are integrated on the underside of the leaf.
Maria’s seat references the functional and linear lines of the table, while stackable stools with rounded seat pads, machined from solid maple act to celebrate the choice of timber.
Arco by Maria Jeglinska-Adamczewska (Poland)
Maria’s Arco seat and table draw inspiration from sculptural forms and the architecture of Benedictine abbeys. With a focus on a prominent curve, the table uses prime American cherry with planks carefully grain matched and machined. The table’s angled legs are an unusual quarter-moon shape and create tension through the top by use of inset metal plates.
The chair has been designed to be sculptural, and to mimic the curves of the body. While appearing structurally simple, the construction choices (such as frame matching) showcase the degree of manufacturing proficiency.
The side panels of the chair are coopered – a technique drawn from barrel-making, and the piece will act to celebrate the beauty of the hardwood.
Pictures by David Cleveland.
