Negative Arm Chair

Negative Arm Chair

Negative Arm chair is an innovative furniture design that challenges traditional perceptions of seating through its unique exploration of negative space and transparency. Created by Iranian architects Azadeh Shariati and Babak Shariati, this revolutionary chair design appears to defy gravity by utilizing the negative space of a conventional chair, creating an optical illusion where the seated person appears to be suspended in space. The chair's structure consists of two 700 x 700 mm squared frames connected by horizontal braces, with a specialized four-way stretch mesh fabric carefully sewn and mounted between the frames. This ingenious construction allows the chair to adapt to the user's body shape, providing ergonomic support while maintaining visual lightness. The design, which earned a Silver A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category, represents a significant advancement in furniture design by questioning the fundamental nature of seating furniture. Its transparent nature and minimal visual impact make it particularly suitable for contemporary architectural spaces where continuity and spatial flow are paramount. The chair's innovative use of materials, specifically the carefully selected spandex fabric, enables it to support the user's weight while dispersing gravitational forces throughout the structure. The design process involved extensive research into ergonomics, anthropometrics, and fabric behavior, resulting in a sophisticated mathematical relationship between the pattern dimensions and the material's physical properties. This groundbreaking approach to furniture design demonstrates how functional objects can simultaneously exist and appear non-existent in space, creating a compelling dialogue between form, function, and visual perception.

furniture design, negative space, transparent seating, ergonomic chair, contemporary furniture, minimalist design

— Adam Dawson