A chair made using traditional steam bent wood techniques with a not so traditional look. Taking inspiration from the classic Thonet chairs the No.7 chair reinterprets the traditional bent wood aesthetic. The inspiration came from looking at the way some of these old chairs were made as well as from a visit to an actual wood bending workshop to understand the strengths and limitations of the technique. When designing this chair I was particularly interested in finding a balance in combining these traditional craftsmanship methods with a new, contemporary visual language, while maintaining usability and comfort as the main parameters in the chair’s proportions.
Spanish designer Tomás Alonso studied at the Royal College of Art. He lives and works in London.