2008 Galleries
The Spark Gallery pages are one of our most popular design destinations, with thousands of visitors each year. Check out some of the latest Spark entries, in the galleries below.
Galleries // 2008 Spark:Pro // Formica Lounger
Formica Lounger
Winner - Silver
Competition: Spark:Pro
Designer: SOM Design Team
Design Type: Product, Furniture
Company / Organization / School: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Formica Corporation of America and the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio approached the design firm to develop a seating element prototype to be shown as part of a group exhibit entitled FORM: Contemporary Architects at Play. The Formica Lounger was one of ten designs by the most creative architects in the field. All pieces were then auctioned off to benefit the education and exhibition programming at the CAC. One requirement was that the piece be fabricated using a product produced by Formica. The designer selected micro-dot plastic laminate as the material for use since it is the most recognizable Formica product. The designer chose to express the laminate’s flexibility by creating a piece that explores a series of different radiuses. By cladding only the top and bottom surfaces of the lounger, the plywood core substrate is expressed. In order to directly explore shade and shadow, white was selected for the color of the Formica Lounger. Additionally, the design relies heavily on the impact of light to help accentuate the power of the unorthodox geometry.
