the pragmatic, the functional, and the simple. the shakers interpreted by MOS architects

MOS revisits shaker furniture for maniera gallery

maniera gallery has recently invited michael meredith and hilary sample of new york-based architecture studio MOS, to develop some objects, with an open brief. once again, the chair, or seating, became the focus of their creative exploration. more specifically, MOS designed furniture and objects inspired by the shakers, a very religious community in the united states, mainly active in the 18th and 19th century. central to their vision of furniture and space was the pragmatic, the functional, and the simple.

the shakers made ‘peg furniture’ — furniture with sticks or pegs. introducing their own peg collection, MOS has created a number of pieces that keep this philosophy in mind, but take it a step further. the objects are simple and straightforward but sometimes serve multiple functions. presenting both modular and simple objects with a twist, the series includes a storage basket, stools, a sofa, and an outdoor stove.

about the shakers

the shakers were nineteenth-century america’s largest and most well-known communal utopian society, boasting thousands of members in the early 1800s. today only a handful remain, and yet their legacy is extensive. their work ethic, high-quality output, and objects made to last are concerns that continue to have currency today.

michael meredith and hilary sample of MOS (more info here) have always made furniture design a part of their practice. as sample mentions, ‘we’re interested in making things, not buying things. if we need a table, we make it. if we need a seat, we make it.’ they were interested in exploring what they call ‘a brutal economy of scale,’ no doubt in response to the contemporary moment, with the need to conserve resources, be mindful of waste, and treat invention as critical. for their design for maniera, MOS investigated american approaches to furniture making, turning to shaker furniture as inspiration.

putting a twist on shaker baskets

MOS’ design was also influenced by the exceptional craftsmanship of shaker objects, specifically the baskets that were a staple, made with an open hexagonal weave and sturdy enough to be used to harvest fruit or drain cheese curds. with its utility and stripped-down yet elegant form, baskets no. 1–3 embody the shaker code of practice to make something useful and necessary, but also beautiful. the bolts that punctuate them are functional, while they are also the only decoration, other than color, on the piece.

available in different sizes and scales, the baskets/stools can seat one or two people side by side. the only thing missing is two handles, which would have governed a shaker basket, making it easier for a pair of workers to pick up a heavy load. instead of wood, the baskets are made from a latticework of metal strips outsourced from fabricators who send the finished parts to MOS to do the final assembly. ‘we have the last say,’ confirms sample. like the shakers who were also fastidious about quality, they live with their designs, including ‘failures and mistakes,’ which meredith says they learn from. with an enthusiasm for a hands-on approach that was shared by the shaker brethren, they test out their work in their studio and home to ensure that it is fit for its purpose.

cut broomsticks transformed into peg chairs

object no. 11 (peg bench) and object no. 12 (peg chair), also for maniera, highlight the practice’s liking in finding off-the-rack components that they can repurpose for new uses. this time, MOS used thick wooden broomstick handles, cutting them down to size for the back and legs to create unconventional, yet practical designs whose material origins are a part of their appeal.

other pieces of the collection include object no. 16 (peg rail), a reinterpreted shaker design, typically hung on the wall and used for hanging up coats, keys, scarves, and other quotidian stuff, as a way to organize their communal homes. updated by MOS, their wooden design can be screwed together in different arrangements to meet individual and collective needs. another common object found in shaker homes is the wood stove, which the studio has rethought with their wood stove no.1, made from simple component parts, such as a firebox fitted to a table, for outdoor gatherings. ‘one of the main values of the shakers was a precise sense of utility, every object had a specific function’ notes sample, ‘the objects we make typically have multiple uses – legs can be backrests, stoves can be tables, baskets can be stools, or something we haven’t imagined.’

multifunctional metal objects

the objects of one part, no. 3, like their baskets, are multi-functional objects. the pieces are made from identical perforated metal panels bolted together. the rounded form, reminiscent of a child’s toy, allows many different configurations, such as a stool, chair, table, or bench. finally, the sectional lounge chair object no. 17 (circular bench) is also made from metal and looks as if it was inspired by pew seating in a meeting house. erected from corrugated aluminum panels, it can be aggregated to form a circle or semicircle, making it fitting for congregating indoors or out.

an affinity with enzo mari

what MOS’ collection of works has in common is the rigor with which they approach their designs based on an economy of construction, an attitude that finds an affinity with the work of the late italian designer enzo mari. MOS, like mari, put emphasis on the value of objects that have become subsumed into our daily lives, their origins forgotten or taken for granted.

just as artists shift perspectives and open our imaginations, design too has the potential to reinterpret the familiar in ways that not only offer new typologies of objects that prompt us to question and even modify behavior, but also open space in our minds for new thinking about the physical and metaphysical relationships we have with the built environment. as MOS has shown, rather than improbable furniture, their intuitive designs are resolutely probable.