atelier FCJZ 'bends it like yoga' to produce plywood furniture collection

atelier FCJZ ‘bends it like yoga’ to produce plywood furniture collection
all images courtesy of yung ho chang/atelier FCJZ

atelier FCJZ, led by architect yung ho chang, has collaborated with qumei, one of the largest furniture brands in china, on the ‘bend it like yoga’ collection — a contemporary interpretation of bent plywood product design. this technology was popularized during the mid-century movement in europe and north america. classic examples of the style include danish designer as hans wegner’s shell chair and charles and ray eames’ lounge chair, objects still cherished today. ‘bent plywood was a revolutionary technology and is one of the prized heritages in furniture design; we are fascinated and inspired to take this tradition further,’ yung ho chang describes.

the strength, balance, and flexibility of the final products brings to mind the postures of a yoga practitioner, and reflects the emphasis on the craft of making, rather than a fixed style.

sofa — 700l x 500w x 800h mm

the design process began with a series of inquiries about bent plywood in order to obtain a thorough understanding of the qualities of the material: what are the major differences between solid wood and laminated wood? what does bending plywood achieve? what are some of the potential outcomes of plywood bending?

these resulting observations became the source of the ‘bend it like yoga’ collection’s main characteristics. each piece in the series is made from one single piece of plywood, held together without any connection joinery — giving a slight springiness to the seat. while some pieces reflect traditional chinese furniture — like a ‘tiao ji’ (long narrow table) — others echo european typologies, like sofas and lounge chairs. the series ranges from seating to tables, and folding screen to stationary — however each can be featured as a standalone piece or fused with other styles of furniture. ‘we believe that the notion of a uniform set of furniture contradicts our multifaceted lifestyle,’ the architect elaborates.

roll back chairs — 400l x 550w x 850h mm

‘bend it like yoga’ is presented at the shanghai power station of art for the exhibition ‘in the name of architecture‘ — a comprehensive survey of atelier FCJZ’s most recent work — on from now until may 29, 2016.

roll back chair — 400l x 550w x 850h mm