A closer look at Turbine
Product StoryArsene introduces Turbine, a new interpretation of a mid-century modern archetype – the low slung, compact occasional chair.
The design brief for Turbine began with a deep dive through the archives of chair design.
A few made it through our research – the PK22 by Poul Kjærholm, the Chandigarh Chair commonly attributed to Pierre Jeanneret, Armchair 41 Paimio by Alvar Aalto, among many others – and we discovered that most, if not all, had a common attribute. They offered generous seating in a relatively compact footprint, but most importantly, they were instantly recognisable due to their iconic silhouette when viewed from the side.
From left to right; Chandigarh Chair by Pierre Jeanneret, Paimio by Alvar Aalto, PK22 by Poul Kjærholm, and the Standard by Jean Prouvé
And we asked ourselves a question: could we develop our take on this tried-and-tested archetype?
Just like the classics we draw our inspiration from, the Turbine is based on a very simple, clear graphic idea – that the chair should have a minimal, yet bold outline. We looked into common architectural features for inspiration, but ultimately decided to adopt the overall shape of a wind turbine as the chair’s best identifying feature.
A turbine. Pretty self-explanatory, really.
The Turbine is based on a simple, clear graphic idea – that the chair should have a minimal, yet bold outline.
Also a Turbine… that you can sit on.
With a strong starting point, the general premise for the collection was very much present in the very first scribble. Our initial sketch for the main structure had a wider, blocky appearance – more akin to a pinwheel rather than a turbine.
However, as the development progressed further it was decided that a slimmer, more streamlined profile was more appropriate to honour the chair’s namesake. A turbine is associated with being sleek, light, and aerodynamic – all of which we seek to capture in the visual language of the chair.
Renders to test the stance of the chair.
Turbine also takes nods to the aforementioned design classics also in the way of their construction – whose designs feature seating elements sandwiched in between a tightly controlled silhouette.
Turbine’s side profile needs to take centre stage, and thus most of the construction is hidden underneath the upholstery. Apart from the side profile, the only visible wooden component (apart from the turbine profile, of course) was the front apron to secure the front legs – a pragmatic adjustment.
As the prototype was getting upholstered, we took it aside for a little photoshoot.
The way the turbine blades converge to the rear also creates a very strong three-way joint, eliminating the need for a cross brace. Coincidentally, it’s also where chairs take the most stress when used. The hierarchy of the structure defines its use – a concept penned by the French constructeur Jean Prouvé when he launched the Standard Chair in 1934, and still relevant to this day.
The result is a chair that stays true to its brief – a low-slung, compact occasional chair with a bold outline (but we can’t promise it to be actually aerodynamic).
A fitting background for Turbine – the sky.
Two’s a crowd, three’s a party. Four… could almost make a wind farm.