ZHA 3D-prints voluptuous chair from recycled plastic
Architecture studio ZHA, formerly Zaha Hadid Architects, has worked with Spanish brand Nagami to launch the 3D-printed Echo Chair made from recycled plastic.
The sculptural chair, envisioned using parametric design software, features an arching backrest that extends to the ground in one plane and a seat that scoops up at the sides to hug the sitter.
Although these two elements appear to be separate at first glance, they were actually printed as one continuous piece.
"Conceived as a single continuous system, the chair dissolves the distinction between structure, surface and ergonomics," said ZHA.
"Generated from two continuous surfaces emerging from a shared structural edge, one surface of the Echo Chair becomes an echo of the other, evolving from the same underlying geometry while assuming a different role."
The Echo Chair was designed by ZHA in collaboration with Nagami, a specialist in 3D printing recycled plastics.
To craft the curving chairs, the studios used polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PET) made from recycled industrial waste, such as single-use medical plastics.
The furniture has a ribbed surface thanks to the layers of plastic built up in the continuous 3D printing process.
"Developed through an iterative research process at ZHA Lab, the Echo Chair combines computational design with large-scale additive manufacturing," said ZHA.
"3D-printing with recycled plastics, Nagami has created a new ecosystem for architecture and design, recovering what others have left behind, transforming waste into design, ready for a new life."
Informed by colours found in natural landscapes, ZHA and Nagami developed four colourways for the chair – white, black, a white-to-translucent gradient pattern, and a caramel tone that gets its colour from a bio-based cork composite.
"Our ambition was to transform an abundant, overlooked resource into an object people genuinely want to live with, demonstrating that sustainability and desirability can go hand in hand," ZHA project design director Sebastian Andia told Dezeen.
"The chair's textured finish also evokes the richness of stone and mineral surfaces, helping recycled plastic feel at home alongside natural materials in contemporary interiors."
The Echo Chair is on display as part of this year's London Creates, an architecture and design trade show curated by ZHA, which takes place at The Truman Brewery until 26 July.
Nagami launched its first collection of 3D-printed chairs in 2018, which included two chairs designed by ZHA.
ZHA principal Patrik Schumacher announced last month that the studio was dropping the name Zaha Hadid Architects.
The news came after the studio won a legal battle with the Zaha Hadid Foundation earlier this year, which concluded that Schumacher could change the studio's name.
The photography is by Maria Docam Studio.
The post ZHA 3D-prints voluptuous chair from recycled plastic appeared first on Dezeen.
