wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light

the furniture functions as evolving objects rather than static forms.

Arq. Omar Wade edited by christina vergopoulou September 21, 2025 3 min

A Dialogue Between Space, Materiality and Light

In southern Mexico City, within a double-height concrete house designed by OW Arquitectos, two furniture pieces by Omar Wade, Banca Tres (Bench Three) and Silla Cuatro (Chair Four), investigate the relationship between space, materiality, and light. The residence, characterized by skylights and large windows, provides the setting for this dialogue, framing the interaction of furniture and architecture.

Together, the two wooden pieces present an exploration of scale and construction. Rather than functioning as static objects, they actively engage their surroundings, responding to light, spatial context, and the passage of time.

wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light - 1 — all images by Mariana Achach

Bench Three and Chair Four by Omar Wade

Banca Tres combines wood craftsmanship with living elements. Constructed from tzalam wood (120 × 40 × 44 cm), its surface incorporates a circular opening (18 cm in diameter, 25 cm deep) designed to hold a clay planter (17 × 55 cm). The integrated planting element transforms the bench into an evolving object that changes over time, linking furniture with natural growth.

Chair Four, influenced by the Oaxacan coast, employs parota wood sourced from the region. OW arquitectos’ designer Omar Wade conceives the chair as a precise cube (60 × 60 × 60 cm). Its seat and backrest are formed from 3 mm-thick steel sheets with narrow side flanges, joined to wooden legs with stainless steel bolts. The result is a composition that balances rigidity with a degree of visual permeability.

wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light - 2 — Bench Three and Chair Four by Omar Wade explore materiality in space

wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light - 3 — the furniture pieces interact with light inside a concrete house in Mexico City

wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light - 4 — Banca Tres in the double-height space under the house’s main dome, which illuminates the center of the staircase

wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light - 5 — Banca Tres integrates wood with a living planter element

omar-wade-ow-arquitectos-banca-tres-silla-cuatro-designboom-1800-3 — tzalam wood forms the structure of the bench

wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light - 6 — Silla Cuatro standing on the concrete terrace

wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light - 7 — Silla Cuatro interacting with light in the main concrete hallway

wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light - 8 — Silla Cuatro’s details of the seat and backrest

omar-wade-ow-arquitectos-banca-tres-silla-cuatro-designboom-1800-2 — parota wood gives the chair a regional material connection

wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light - 9 — geometry and materiality define Silla Cuatro’s composition

wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light - 10 — designer Omar Wade with Silla Cuatro

project info:

name: Banca Tres and Silla Cuatro
architect: Omar Wade – OW arquitectos | @owarquitectos.com.mx

photographer: Mariana Achach | @achachmariana

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