ortal sachs designs a surprisingly comfortable concrete stone chair

the ‘marbella‘ was developed by young designer ortal sachs, as part of her final project in industrial design studies at ariel university. the project began as a material study and at the same time evolved into experiential research, playing with different mediums to create a deceptive and unexpected experience that asks: what happens when you come across materials that behave differently from what we expect?

all images courtesy of ortal sachs

while working on her final project, there were two guidelines. one, was the desire to undertake material research on unfamiliar mediums with unknown properties. the second was to create a rigid language by the use of soft materials, emphasising the difference between what can be seen and what can be felt. sachs, in essence desired to break the conventions on what a typical chair looks like.

sachs turned to the area where the product is not defined as a seat, and the first impression is the one that defines it. after in-depth research, she developed a silicone-based material that simulates the idea of stone or concrete, but with softness and flexibility. the design is also inspired by the shape and form of stones and rocks, transmitting the notion of stiffness to these materials.

the decision to create an object that, at first glance, does not tell us what its role is in space, and the user can pass by it many times until they decide to sit on it, but once they have examined the properties of the material, the user is surprised as they sink into an incredibly soft and comfortable seat. overall, the piece stems from a desire to produce a multisensory experience that causes us to rethink what we think and know.

project info:

project name: marbella

design: ortal sachs

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom