The GUNZEL range by Didier expresses this authenticity in pure form, with chairs that celebrate the innate identity of the source. In the new GUNZEL Stacking Range, this goes one step further, with a geometry that is destined to become an icon of Australian design.
As individual seats, the chairs are, like many Didier designs, deceptively simple. The gentle ergonomic curve of the back and the spare, elegant lines of smoothed wood for legs give an initial air of practicality.
Stacked, however, a twist in the design narrative emerges, with a side-on perspective that reveals a parquetry effect.
The GUNZEL Stacking chairs have been crafted to be capable of stacking eight chairs high, which makes them perfect for flexible seating in a range of settings including meeting areas, hospitality, education, or entertaining spaces in residential homes. The impeccable quality and aesthetic appeal ensure that even stacked, they appear as an intentional sculptural element of a space, not an awkwardly stored contingency.
Didier’s entire GUNZEL collection of chairs, high stools and low stools, has its origins in the golden era of Australian civic design, a time when objects made for public use were created with incredible care and craftsmanship.
Durability and exquisite attention to detail in design went together, whether the maker was creating part of a building or a piece of furniture. The work of the hands in shaping, carving, joining, sanding, smoothing and polishing timber was celebrated and respected.
A chair was not merely an object made for profit; it was an item crafted for purpose, place and the people who would use it.
This is the ethos Ross Didier brings to the collections he creates.
“I’ve always been interested in objects that are useful first, but still have soul” Ross says.
“With GUNZEL, the craftsmanship isn’t there simply to be noticed. Every detail has a purpose. You may not see everything that has gone into it, but you can feel it.”
This is “the People’s Chair” – a harmony of democratic design and understated utility.
The core is the distinctive carved timber backrest with its generous form, sculpted for comfort and displaying the natural and unique grain of the timber. The solid timber frame features surfaces and edges resolved not only for appearance but also for how they feel.
On the underside of the frame, timbers have been rounded to be smooth. There are no corner blocks, brackets or visible joining devices. Seat pads have been designed to be easily interchangeable or removable as needs, aesthetics and preferences change.
These are chairs for life, and for living with, whether in a commercial space or a private home. They are made for civilised encounters between the seat and those who are seated, with every purposeful detail contributing to a level of quality and finish that simply feels good.
