Wilkhahn’s Chassis is arguably one of the more cutting-edge and boldly innovative chairs to come to market in recent years.

Chassis

Lightweight, durable, and high on comfort, Chassis is designed by Stephan Diaz and draws inspiration from a bicycle saddle. It is also the first mass-produced chair in history to utilise advanced space-frame technology from the automotive industry.

Chassis

Recently, Wilkhahn Hong Kong invited designers to participate in its “Design Your Own Chassis” competition. “We decided to hold the competition to engage the industry and demonstrate the customisation capabilities of Wilkhahn products,” explains Grant Humphreys, Market Manager for Hong Kong, South China and India.

No limitations were placed on design ideas, with the only restrictions coming down to manufacturing technicalities and production cost.

Chassis

Twelve design firms responded with a total of 26 entries. Ten end clients of Wilkhahn and project managers were then invited to serve on the jury panel, and they eventually picked three winning entries, which were presented at Wilkhahn’s Christmas event on 11 December where each of the winners walked away with a Chassis valued at between $4,000 to $8,000.

The winners explain their concepts:

Machanimal by Hola Projects
Part machine, part animal.

Hola Projects was inspired by the combination of the advanced engineering of the Wilkhahn Chassis chair and its sensual profile. The componentised leg frame and the monocoque seat construction technicality melds beautifully with the chair’s sinuous curvature. The economy of leg profile and seat shell underlines the grace of the form.

“We wanted to enhance the sexual, almost animal aspect of the form by applying skin coloured perforated leather upholstery for tactile effect and a flesh frame colour. This luxury is literally backed with a print mimicking the technical magic of dichroic film. Reflexive and scientific at once, the coloured spectrum on the rear stands in stark contrast to the luxurious leather face, creating surprise, delight and reinforcing the Chassis chair’s contemporaneity,” explains Hola Projects’ Directors Chris Lalogiannis (Hong Kong) and Donald Holt (Melbourne).

Chassis 917 by Aedas

“Our design concept for the Chassis 917 was quite a simple idea. It’s based on a chassis being generally known as a frame upon which the main parts of an automobile are built, so what better car pattern or colours to be modeled on German designer Stefan Diez’s chair other than the 917 racing car that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970?” says Aedas’ Director Simon Paddison.

The C(h)assis by Yeo Studio

“With the removal of a single letter from the original’s moniker, the chair is suddenly transformed into a lyrical poem to the joys of the south of France. Blackcurrant becomes the dominant colour with the frame as glossy as the ripe fruit that bears its name. A handwritten diary entry from the early 20th Century describes the pleasure of sailing the calanques of Cassis, carrying the user away, even if only for a brief moment…” says Darren Iloste, Partner at Yeo Studio.

For more information on Wilkhahn and the Chassis chair, visit wilkhahn.com