philipp aduatz: melting chair at TENT london 2011

‘melting chair’ by philipp aduatz 65 × 93 × 78 cm / 25.6 × 36.6 × 30.7 inches edition of 12 + 3 A/P GFRP with a special silver coating

‘melting chair’ was developed to capture a transient transformation within a sculptural object. created by viennese designer philipp aduatz, the furniture piece has been conceived to appear to the viewer either as a solid chair melting away, or as a solidification of a liquid melt. usually materials can be observed in certain aggregate phases: seen in solid, fluid or gaseous, but not at the same time. the chair’s form captures the moment during these transitions, realizing them into a usable object.

in order to create a realistic illusion, aduatz studied the solidification of fluids as well as the melting of solids with the use of modern 3D animation software. with this he designed the surface of the object down to the smallest detail. through form studies with CNC milled polystyrene models and rapid prototyping he ensured a perfect geometry. the final object is made out of a fiberglass reinforced with polymer, a light and strong composite material. the surface is coated with a special mirror coating for a metallic appearance. a special clear lacquer is used to protect the mirror coating from aging and makes the surface of the seat scratch resistant.

‘melting chair’ is on show at TENT london during london design week 2011.

back 3/4 view

front view

demonstrating the reflective surface of the chair

foam prototype

rapid prototyping model

renderings of the ‘melting chair’