top of page
CHERIE SHEK

Create Your First Project

Start adding your projects to your portfolio. Click on "Manage Projects" to get started

Unity Redux

Project type

Chair, Product Design, Team Project (Pairs)

Date

Feb 2024

Location

Dundee

From contrasts to harmony, the chair explores the theme of antitheses in unity.

The re-imagination of the Steltman Chair by Gerrit Rietveld through adaptive reuse, inspired by the symbolic meaning of the original chairs - ‘2 separate, opposite forms that together form a unity’.

The chair combines the original Steltman chair’s linear, vertical and horizontal elements with contrasting curved forms. These two opposite qualities, linearity and curvature, come together to create a single, unified design.

The chair features two opposing curves, one concave and one convex, creating side elevations that resemble the yin and yang symbol. This reflects the idea of unified opposites, with yin representing dark and feminine qualities, and yang representing bright and masculine qualities.

The linear parts of the chair were built with hemlock, and the two curves were built with oak wood because of its ability to be steam-bent. Using two types of wood highlights contrasts in the design - between linear and curved forms, and between the textures, colours, and patterns of oak and hemlock. Their subtle colour difference complements the chair, creating a harmonious and unified aesthetic.

The chair was finished with two coats of neutral wax, giving it a subtle gloss while allowing the natural grain of the oak and hemlock to remain visible.

© 2024 by Cherie Shek. Powered and Secured by Wix.

bottom of page