Bonding Stool

Bonding Stool

Bonding Stool is an innovative and thought-provoking furniture design that challenges conventional seating paradigms by incorporating critical design principles to address modern social alienation. This unique two-person seat, designed by Loukas Chondros and Ioannis Kanellopoulos, exemplifies conditional functionality through its distinctive engineering approach, where the stool maintains stability only when simultaneously occupied by two users, deliberately collapsing when single occupancy is attempted. The design, which earned recognition with an Iron A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category, features a sophisticated construction utilizing 7mm thick steel sheets formed through precision bending techniques, with electrostatically coated surfaces in contrasting colors and silicon-treated ground contact points. The structure, measuring 970mm x 300mm x 430mm and weighing approximately 30 kilograms, demonstrates remarkable engineering considerations through static load testing, capable of supporting up to 150 kilograms with minimal displacement. Its triangular connection configuration, achieved through six discrete milled screws, ensures structural integrity while maintaining the design's clean aesthetic appeal. The conceptual foundation of the Bonding Stool extends beyond mere functionality, serving as a powerful metaphor for human interdependence and cooperation in an increasingly individualistic society, while its manufacturing process balances innovative design with practical producibility, incorporating ergonomic considerations and material optimization to achieve its unique balance-dependent functionality.

furniture design, critical design, social interaction, collaborative seating, metal fabrication, ergonomic engineering

— Adam Dawson

CITATION : "Adam Dawson. 'Bonding Stool.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=438793 (Accessed on November 11, 2025)"