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CHRISTO MEYER
RESEARCH + DESIGN
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LFA City of London Benches 2019
Competition entry for the annual LFA City of London Benches competition.
Taking its inspiration from the CAD blocks contained in the floor plans and elevations of offices, cafés and restaurants in Cheapside, a simple arrangement of the plan and sides-, front- and back elevations of the humble chair is used to form a pattern to be transposed onto a single material.
Notions of pattern, stitching and intricacy often found in upholstery are used to elevate a simple material into a new and celebrated furniture piece. In this case, a city bench (refer to image 03) rather than an armchair, a metal sheet rather than leather or fabric, a CAD block pattern rather than a fabric pattern and stitches (refer to images 01 and 02). In further references, it is also reminiscent of discarded laser cut files – in themselves beautiful pieces. Digital craftmanship or fabrication is used instead of those used in upholstery.
It is not only aimed to celebrate pattern. It is also a study in simplicity of form and exploring the material qualities of a thin sheet of metal. The form or profile is meant to be simple, allowing the pattern to provide the interest.
The bench is cut from a 6mm thick single sheet of mild steel, which when formed and folded at its seams, is transformed into a 1200mm wide x 400mm high x 450mm furniture piece. It is aimed to be a celebration of the metric dimensions of a bench, formed into its simplest profile.
Before pressure forming the bench, the sheet is cut to size with the pattern either CNC punched, or laser cut from a CAD file. The pattern is scaled at 1:50, resulting in an aesthetic reminiscent of lattice work or wicker furniture. The holes caused by the pattern also results in play of light and shadow that changes throughout the day. The pattern is also very tactile.
The obsession with the CAD block continues using colour by referencing the 6 index colours in AutoCAD: Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue and Magenta. These are applied to the metal sheet by means of Polyester Powdercoated paint onto a primer undercoat to ensure the bench is protected against the elements.
The designer will work with the client to curate a colour from the list that best complements the location of where the bench is to be installed. Visuals below give an impression of what the bench may look like in the context of Cheapside.