This peculiar chair, called the An Lena chair, was created by Simone Harbert as part of a student exhibition at the Burg Giebichenstein College of Art and Design in Germany.The piece was a commentary on parasitism, as it supported itself from gripping two surfaces: the floor and the wall.
The piece is a parasitic prototype, which cleverly supports itself by gripping into the masonry work of the walls it leans against. Harbert’s idea is that with lightweight and mobile furniture, urban landscapes can quickly be transformed into community spaces.
As prices rise for oil and raw materials (even sawdust), fans of furniture made from cardboard call it more earth-friendly and affordable than its wooden counterparts, which usually requires felling trees, or furniture made of pressboard, which contains toxic glues. It’s also lightweight and can be packed flat for easy shipping.architect Frank Gehry is known as the design pioneer in this realm. Between 1969 and 1973, his “Easy Edges” series of designs layered corrugated cardboard to create chairs and tables capped by a wooden layer for extra strength. Design schools regularly teach Gehry’s forms.Cardboard as a building block is slowly gaining in appeal around the world. The 2000 Olympics in Sydney featured cardboard furniture. In Hong Kong, cardboard is used for coffins.
