2 July 2014
Every time a new chair is brought into production, the question inevitably arises: did we really need it? The existence of Konstantin Grcic’s new Rival for Artek can be justified not so much on purely aesthetic grounds, as on those of the way it meets the challenge of using contemporary technologies and means to treat familiar materials. In this case the material chosen could only be birch wood, symbol of Artek and of Finnish design. The innovation lies in the fact that wood has been treated here in two different ways: the solid birch used for the legs bestows an almost sculptural appearance on the chair, while the laminate from which the arms, back and base are made produces a more traditional and industrial effect. The range of materials is completed by the fabric upholstery of the padded seat, which is available in a broad selection of colors, textures and patterns. This is why the designer speaks of a “grammar of construction,” emphasizing the high degree of technical skill involved in the use of so many different materials, techniques and types of joint. All this makes this seat an example of how structural capacities can motivate an affirmative response to the question we posed at the beginning.