MODERNFORM BELIEVES IN THE ABILITY OF DESIGN TO CHANGE PEOPLE’S BEHAVIOURS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR IDENTITY. THE CHAIRS IN THIS COLLECTION ARE DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE USERS TO MOVE THEIR BODY, FROM SLIGHT MOVEMENTS MADE WHILE SITTING
TEXT: NAPAT CHARITBUTRA
PHOTO: NAPAT CHARIBUTRA EXCEPT AS NOTED
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modernform has recently introduced its latest chair collection at Everlasting Forest by GC, which is situated in front of the Central Post Office building as a part of Bangkok Design Week 2020. It isn’t all that surprising that many of those who saw the work didn’t actually recognize the collection as pieces that modernform would create, especially with the colors, forms and design language used, which are far more upbeat and younger than many would have expected from the brand. Nevertheless, the new move made by this 40-year old brand is undeniably exciting and definitely worth following.
The ‘Modern Lifestyle… Fashionable Furniture’ is born out of a variety of current lifestyle trends. The first being the growing obscurity between the line that once separated people’s resting and working habits, as well as, homes and workplaces. The blurred lines, which are attributed to the arrival and pivotal role of communication technology, are translated into the multifunctional seating of the chair’s design that is able to accommodate more diverse functionalities. “Millennials demand for something more than just the diversity of functionality, which is why we need to develop products with a great consideration in sustainability,” explained Kittipong Wanapinyosak, the Design Chief of modernform to art4d about the collection.
‘Sustainability’, the second trend which serves as integral part of the collection, is the reason behind modernform’s decision to co-create the collection with the alternative material expert, PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited or GC.
The 15% plastic used as the manufacturing material for the collection’s MOTION / MONO / MIXX / MORE model is an upcycling plastic, which is reused without having to go through the recycling process. URBAN M, the simplest looking chair of the collection is also particularly interesting for its ‘unordinary’ manufacturing process, in which the used saline bags from hospitals are recycled into plastic before the material is moulded into the multifunctional chair. The chairs are currently manufactured and used at Kasetsart University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
Photo courtesy of modernform
modernform believes in the ability of design to change people’s behaviours and contribute to the development of their identity. The chairs in the ‘Modern Lifestyle… Fashionable Furniture’ collection are designed to encourage users to move their body, from slight movements made while sitting. The chairs also naturally and suitably adjust users’ postures and ergonomics. Additionally, all the chairs are developed to have a personalization ’gap’, allowing users to adjust the colors of the frames and seating of the chair as desired, especially the modular system of MIXX whose adaptable functionalities make it a chair, a shelf and a small side table that is compatible for both indoor and outdoor use.
‘Modern Lifestyle… Fashionable Furniture’ collection will officially be launched with the complete product line at the upcoming Architect’ 20 Expo, which is set to take place in the middle of this year. While it remains to be seen what the full collection will come to be, modernform is definitely serious about gearing their design direction towards a more environmentally friendly path for 2020.