RZLBD's unsittable thrones for dictators explore design's symbolic relationship to authority

‘Thrones for Dictators’ Rethinks Power and Authority in Design

Atelier RZLBD’s ongoing exploration of iteration takes a provocative turn with Thrones for Dictators, challenging the chair as a designed object and its symbolic relationship to power and authority. This series reimagines the chair, removing its inherent familiarity and comfort to explore its associations with status and those who occupy it. By doing so, the project questions notions of power, control, and the symbolic weight of the throne.

Derived from the Greek ‘thronos’ (elevated seat), thrones have historically symbolized dignity, authority, and status. Unlike the everyday chair, which has become a ubiquitous and practical object, thrones carry cultural, religious, and political significance, often serving as emblems of absolute power. Leaders who occupy such seats—from CEOs to dictators—may become complacent, wielding power through oppression, fear, and manipulation. Supporting one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body, the designers remove the familiarity and comfort expected of a chair through playful exploration.

Thrones for Dictators / eggs | all images courtesy of RZLBD

RZLBD’s chair series Deconstructs Power Through Discomfort

The design studio questions the comfort associated with thrones, proposing that this ease often reflects unchecked authority. Using the R-01 chair—originally designed for a boutique restaurant in Toronto—as a framework, RZLBD deconstructs and reimagines its form. By altering the seat and materiality, the studio creates 24 iterations that question the very essence of sitting, subverting expectations and disrupting the comfort typically afforded to positions of power.

Minimal in its expression, the base chair features a plywood seat pad designed to be interchangeable, allowing for a wide range of experimental configurations. Each iteration utilizes ready-made materials and everyday objects, injecting an element of playfulness while evoking discomfort, pain, or caution. The project explores the symbolic power of the throne through a quasi-political lens, stripping it of honor and ease to expose the fragility of its authority. By creating thrones that are deliberately ‘unsittable,’ Thrones for Dictators disrupts the traditional associations of the chair with comfort and permanence.

Thrones for Dictators / beehive

Thrones for Dictators / cacti

Thrones for Dictators / BBQ

Thrones for Dictators / milk bags

Thrones for Dictators / barbed wire

Thrones for Dictators / garbage bag

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Thrones for Dictators / taxonomy

R-01 Chair / drawing

R-01 Chair / concept diagram

project info:

name: Thrones for Dictators
designer: RZLBD | @rzlbd_

project assistant: Katie Wang

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom