DE ARCHITECTS
1/2
2/2
S-624
year 2009
material plant fiber
source title Martin Szezely
info The “simple boxes” set follows on from the ‘Cork’ chair (2000) and ‘Parpaing’ (2002). It is another reminder that all furniture consists of boxes, more or less. Tables and stools, for example, are boxes with parts that have been replaced, while cupboards are perfect boxes, and so on. Cork is the protective skin of trees. In the case of the “simple boxes,” it protects the contents from the outside, acting as insulation. Cork absorbs both physical blows and sonic shocks. It is lightweight, soft to the touch, and water-resistant. All these qualities, and others, make it a peerless “hi-tech” natural material. It is used to withstand extreme conditions in aircraft and spacecraft manufacture, among other things. Portuguese fishermen use it for small pieces of furniture and other objects to take on board their boats, since it is water- and shock- resistant. It would even be possible to build the framework of a house—the floor, walls, and roof—from this unique material. Using cork, left visible both inside and out, the house would be perfectly insulated and soundproof. The basic fabric of the “simple boxes” is a calibrated, waxed panel of agglomerated cork particles. The project grew out of this panel: two storage units with sliding doors and drawers, one set of drawers, a side table and a tabletop with metal legs, and a low storage unit. Each panel is exactly where it needs to be, while its thickness is determined by its function and structural limits. The gaps that can be seen on each side reflect the limits to the dimensions of each panel.
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year 2009
material plant fiber
source title Martin Szezely
info The “simple boxes” set follows on from the ‘Cork’ chair (2000) and ‘Parpaing’ (2002). It is another reminder that all furniture consists of boxes, more or less. Tables and stools, for example, are boxes with parts that have been replaced, while cupboards are perfect boxes, and so on. Cork is the protective skin of trees. In the case of the “simple boxes,” it protects the contents from the outside, acting as insulation. Cork absorbs both physical blows and sonic shocks. It is lightweight, soft to the touch, and water-resistant. All these qualities, and others, make it a peerless “hi-tech” natural material. It is used to withstand extreme conditions in aircraft and spacecraft manufacture, among other things. Portuguese fishermen use it for small pieces of furniture and other objects to take on board their boats, since it is water- and shock- resistant. It would even be possible to build the framework of a house—the floor, walls, and roof—from this unique material. Using cork, left visible both inside and out, the house would be perfectly insulated and soundproof. The basic fabric of the “simple boxes” is a calibrated, waxed panel of agglomerated cork particles. The project grew out of this panel: two storage units with sliding doors and drawers, one set of drawers, a side table and a tabletop with metal legs, and a low storage unit. Each panel is exactly where it needs to be, while its thickness is determined by its function and structural limits. The gaps that can be seen on each side reflect the limits to the dimensions of each panel.
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