spalvieri + del ciotto: sacchetto Tyvek® chair

the sacchetto chair made of tyvek on display at the salone satellite 2011. image © designboom

italian studio spalvieri + del ciotto‘s ‘sacchetto’, on display at the salone satellite during milan design week 2011, is an armchair created from a study they are conducting on the use of Tyvek® for interior design solutions. Tyvek® is a non-woven high-density polyethylene (HDPE) which is water-proof and extremely resistant to UV light, typically used in the construction of buildings. its appearance is quite similar to paper, atoxic, chemically inert and does not contain a binder. the studio devised an innovative method in order to join pieces of material without using glue or sewing where sheets are soldered through an ultrasonic technique, and rendering the joints water-proof.

‘in this way we could create an unbelievably resistant armchair, ideal for indoors or outdoors, which maintains the delicate and frail look of paper. you are able to sit in the yard on an armchair seemingly made of paper, but durable enough to be cleaned with a wet sponge.’ -spalvieri + del ciotto

the prototype shown here in the form of a paper bag with a bean bag chair inside. image © designboom

rear view image © designboom

detail of rolled end. image © designboom

detail of seams image © designboom

asthetically similar to a heavy wrinkled paper image © designboom

image courtesy of spalvieri + del ciotto

process of laying out the pattern image courtesy of spalvieri + del ciotto

detail of stitching technique image courtesy of spalvieri + del ciotto