bent wooden circles revise ton's iconic chair 14 displayed at milan design week 2024

Jiri Krejcirik reimagines Chair 14 for furniture company Ton

Chair-object, or Ode to Chair 14 by designer Jiri Krejcirik pays homage to the iconic Chair 14 by furniture company Ton. The furniture company displays the craftwork of Krejcirik’s design of the chair-object at this year’s Salone del Mobile Milano – Milan Design Week 2024. ‘My Ode to Chair 14 revives the legendary Chair 14. The sculptural chair-object pays homage to this icon. The backrest is constructed from bent wooden circles that applaud the bending craftsmanship of Ton,’ notes Krejcirik. Thanks to its complicated silhouette, the ultramarine Ode resembles more of a sculpture than any of the seating designs by Ton. However, no new mold had to be created to make this chair-object, as it was solely created from components and molds already in Ton’s production. True to Krejcirik’s signature style, the Ode to Chair 14 interlaces the heritage of the past with a new idea.

all images by Julius Filip

bent wooden circles reference ton’s chair morphology

‘My Ode to Chair 14 revives the iconic Chair 14, which to me embodies the very essence of Ton. It has been on the market for over 160 years and its morphology proves that Ton is a master of the bending technique. That’s why the bent wooden circles are the central element of my design. I thought of Ode to Chair 14 as a sculpture. No new mold had to be created to make this chair-object, as I intentionally created it from components and molds already in Ton’s production. In this way, the past and the present, the heritage and the new idea, came together,’ shares the designer.

Jiri Krejcirik’s work is characterized by a coherent visual language reimagining the historical and the cultural through a contemporary lens. Transcending the traditional concepts of design, his practice embraces a broad spectrum of disciplines and methods, from product design to interior and spatial design. Embracing the Czech tradition of craftsmanship, each one of Krejcirik’s products is hand-crafted locally in the Czech Republic, produced in a limited series, and displayed only in meticulously chosen galleries and design showrooms in Europe, Australia, and the US — including the Boon_Room gallery in Paris, the Garde gallery, or the Finkelstein Gallery in Melbourne. Jiri’s tables and glass objects are in private art collections in Germany, the United Kingdom, the USA, France, Italy, and Austria.

Ode to Chair 14, designed by Jiri Krejcirik, pays homage to Ton’s iconic Chair 14

Krejcirik’s design revives the legendary Chair 14, celebrating Ton’s bending craftsmanship

the sculptural chair-object features a backrest constructed from bent wooden circles, honoring Ton’s heritage

no new mold was created for this chair-object; it was crafted from components already in Ton’s production

Ode to Chair 14 intertwines the past and present, embracing heritage with a contemporary twist

Krejcirik’s design reflects a coherent visual language, reimagining the iconic seating object

project info:

name: Chair-object for furniture company Ton
designer: Jiri Krejcirik | @jiri_krejcirik

client: Ton (est.1861) | @ton__design

photography: Julius Filip | @juliusfilip

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: christina vergopoulou | designboom