salone satellite 2010: elastic wood by gilli kuchik

gilli kuchik of israeli design group bakery presents ‘elastic wood’ at milan design week 2010.

flexing the chair into shape

wood has long been used as a primary material for producing furniture, in which designers have connected, carved and bent the natural material into various 3D shapes.

‘elastic wood’ focuses on wood joinery and seeks to explore what happens when they become flexible. its production is influenced by the process of over molding, where two materials are used to complete an enhance each other’s characteristics. here, wood is used for its compatibility for home furniture – its touch and warm aesthetic – while the elastic material is used for the purpose of transforming the 2D spread into a 3D shape. the combination of the two materials adds the aspect of flexibility to a typically rigid piece of furniture produced in wood.

‘elastic wood’ chair

front view

side view

up close look at the elastic ‘joinery’

production process of ‘elastic wood’: chair mould

wood and elastic materials lie 2D inside the mould

chair out of the mould

screwing the chair components into place

samples of material explorations and flexibility

samples of material explorations and flexibility

sample of an elastic joint

sample of the elastic joint’s flexibility

construction sample of elastic wood

demonstrating its durability and flexibility