luka yasukawa’s utena chair changes its shape to a stable structure when a load applied

japanese-based designer luka yasukawa’s utena chair is a shell-like structure that adjusts to a person’s body when they sit on it. comprising acrylic packed with PVC and this interesting yet very easy mechanism, the chair actually gets sturdier when weight is applied.

the final version of utena — the name comes from japanese and means a calyx of a flower — is made of synthetic leather with pockets to insert the acrylic strips in, so they can be replaces in case they break. yakusawa’s chair is easy to use and can be folded up. 

utena

detail

video by 安川流加

PVC prototype

detail

process