OF BRASILIS crafts wooden three-legged chairs for curbside conversations

inspired by brazilian culture, the chair's three-legged support, which inverts towards the front, distinguishes from other designs.

OF BRASILIS edited by ravail khan September 19, 2024 3 min

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meio-fio draws on brazilian culture

Multidisciplinary practice OF BRASILIS reinvents Brazilian furniture design with MEIO-FIO, a three-legged chair. Part of the B de Brasilis collection and under the creative direction of architect and designer Julia Nogueira, the chair is inspired by cultural customs, expressions, and experiences — particularly the idea of sitting on the sidewalk and having casual conversations with neighbors.

The chairs are made of solid boxwood for colorful finishes in palm green and danube blue. Its design is light, simplified, and balanced with a cadence between horizontal and vertical lines that bring dynamism to the pieces, particularly highlighted when configured together.

of brasilis reinvents brazilian furniture design with a new 3 legged chair 6 — all images by Israel Lima

of brasilis shapes three-legged chair from wood

Adopting a nuanced approach to furniture design and communication, the B de Brasilis collection looks to the past, paying homage to creations by artists such as Lina Bo Bardi, Joaquim Tenreiro, José Zanine Caldas, and Sérgio Rodrigues; big Brazilian names who popularized three-support objects. The concept of MEIO-FIO derives from the movement common in the interior of Brazilian cities and some outskirts of capitals, evoking the familiarity of curbside conversation.

For this chair, the team at OF BRASILIS aimed to use the minimum material necessary to create a practical design that is easy to replicate. The natural finish version, made from pequiá wood, is lighter, and more balanced, while woods are 100% Brazilian and cause minimal environmental harm upon disposal. The three-legged support, which inverts towards the front, distinguishes from other designs by rethinking the positioning of the legs.

of brasilis reinvents brazilian furniture design with a new 3 legged chair 11 — the chair is designed precisely to facilitate the banal conversations that arise on the sidewalk

of brasilis reinvents brazilian furniture design with a new 3 legged chair 1 — OF BRASILIS sought to use the minimum possible material

of brasilis reinvents brazilian furniture design with a new 3 legged chair 7 — the three-legged support, which inverts towards the front, distinguishes from other designs

of brasilis reinvents brazilian furniture design with a new 3 legged chair 5 — MEIO-FIO is inspired by cultural customs, expressions, and experiences

of brasilis reinvents brazilian furniture design with a new 3 legged chair 10 — detail of the backrest

meio-fio-chair-of-brasilis-designboom-01 — colorful finishes in palm green and danube blue

of brasilis reinvents brazilian furniture design with a new 3 legged chair 8 — both types of wood are 100% Brazilian and have a less aggressive impact on the environment after disposal

triangular crossbars lock the chair made by carpenter Caio Gasparin two wooden bars act as support for the lower backrest

project info:

name: MEIO-FIO chair
designer: OF BRASILIS | @ofbrasilis

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