Benjamin Hubert of experience design agency Layer in close collaboration with Moroso has designed a new 3 piece living collection. Cradle is a new family of products launched at Salone del Mobile in April 2016 and Clerkenwell Design Week 2016. The new family comprises a high-back chair, a low-back chair and a room divider, each of which are inspired by the studio’s research into the construction of mesh materials and how traditional product typologies can be re- imagined to enhance performance.
Cradle draws inspiration from materials technology now common in footwear manufacture. The knitted backrest conforms and supports the sitters body shape delivering a comfortable experience through flexibility and tension. The 3d knitted technology and approach utilised in Cradle’s backrest reduces the amount of material whilst increasing comfort can be paralleled to Flyknit technology found in the upper of Nike footwear. The soft and cushioning foam seat of Cradle, absorbs the impact of sitting and supports the weight of the user, relates to the approach of footwear soles that utilise cushioning foam to absorb the impact of running. Cradle also offers the ability for architects and interior designers to specify the yarn colour in both the vertical and horizontal direction in the knitted backrest and the textile of the upholstered seat in a Nike ID fashion.
The Cradle collection utilises a new three-dimensional stretch textile developed by Layer with Austrian textile factory. The knitted textile has high strength but low density, meaning it can o er the necessary support using a fraction of the material of a traditional mesh. The mesh is comprised of Trevira CS for support and polypropylene for elasticity.
The chairs are a unique blend of two typologies of seating – a net structured hammock and a conventional upholstered lounge chair. Each is constructed from a metal frame supporting a textile backrest that cradles an upholstered seat block. The 3D knitted textile used in the backrest has varying density, which offers structure and strength but also visual lightness and transparency. This creates the correct tension to comfortably support the body, and visually and physically reduces the product’s weight and cost. The room divider is a simple screen created using the same stretch knitted material as the seating. The density of the knit is irregular, resulting in varied lightness and transparency across the screen, which creates a dynamic visual element in an interior space with minimal materials.
Info and images courtesy of Layer