Iperbolica Armchairs

Iperbolica Armchairs

Iperbolica Armchairs is an innovative collection of avant-garde seating designs that revolutionizes traditional furniture construction through its experimental use of silicone as the primary material. Created by Italian designer Alessandro Ciffo, these distinctive armchairs represent a significant departure from conventional furniture design by abandoning traditional internal support structures in favor of using air and elastic polyurethane foam as structural elements. The collection, which earned the Silver A' Design Award in Furniture Design category, exemplifies a sophisticated interplay between material innovation and artistic expression. Each piece in the collection is characterized by its hyperbolic nature, pushing beyond conventional design boundaries through excessive, extravagant, and dilated forms that challenge ordinary perceptions of furniture. The armchairs feature remarkable dimensions, ranging from 1021-1216mm in width, 800-1044mm in depth, and standing 800mm in height, constructed using acetic thixotropic silicone, colored pigment powders, elastic polyurethane foam, and cotton reinforcing textile. The manufacturing process involves an innovative reverse decorative technique where ornamentation precedes structural development, resulting in unique textural and chromatic combinations that create incandescent polychromatic effects. The collection's evolution, beginning in 2008, demonstrates a progressive refinement in both technical execution and aesthetic expression, with each piece offering distinct ergonomic solutions while maintaining the core philosophy of experimental design. These pieces transcend their functional purpose as seating furniture to become artistic statements that explore the dialectical relationship between material and form, image and object, function and decoration, representing a significant contribution to contemporary furniture design.

silicone furniture design, experimental seating, contemporary armchair innovation, hyperbolic furniture forms, artistic furniture creation, material innovation furniture

— Adam Dawson