adam whittaker builds 'en throne' chair from bold blue geometries

adam whittaker builds ‘en throne’ chair from bold blue geometries
all images courtesy of adam whittaker 

during new york design week 2016, the winner and runners up of the wilsonart student design competition with the college for creative studies in detroit were presented at ICFF. under the theme ‘design for delight’, adam whittaker realized the ‘en throne’ chair — a bold and uncomplicated seat that is simultaneously sculptural, graphic and playful. depending on the vantage point of the viewer, an optical trick hides the source of the seat behind a monolithic blue circle. ‘en throne’ comprises few primary shapes, yet has a imposing presence that generates a sense of curiosity — concurrently commanding and alluring. 

the bold and uncomplicated seat is simultaneously sculptural, graphic and playful

‘I wanted my chair to be sculptural and not necessarily represent the traditional archetype of a chair,’ whittaker says. ‘I hope the viewer is filled with anticipation as they approach it, and feel joy as they’re encompassed by its grandiose form and intense blue color.’ the name is a play on words: ‘en’ is derived from the japanese calligraphy practice of drawing an ‘enso’ (a circle drawn in one fluid brush stroke) and symbolizes strength and elegance. ‘throne’ represents the chair’s aesthetic presence as a ‘noble’ seat that frames the sitter.

see images of the making of ‘en throne’ below. 

‘en throne’ in progress 

testing the functionality of the seat 

the chair comprises elementary shapes  

finishing stages of ‘en throne’ take place 

a triangle and circle meet, supporting the chair on the ground 

whittaker holds the monolithic blue circle that becomes the back of the chair 

positioning the supports for the back rest 

a bent piece of wood forms the support at the back of the chair 

unassembled elements of the chair before they have been covered in blue laminate 

the folded wood meets one end of the circular form 

cardboard models form the preliminary stages of realization 

sketches indicate the process of conceiving ‘en throne’