Dynamically designed
“Urban planning, architecture, interior design, and product design are inseparable in terms of atmosphere. My holistic approach has always led me to come up against the limits of design and extend them,” comments Hadi Teherani. With the new “W3D” stool, the architect and designer has collaborated with Wagner Living and designer Thorsten Franck to add a new facet to the notion of dynamic sitting, namely a three-dimensional, mobile “active stool”. The stool can be mass-produced and is manufactured by means of 3D printing using 100 percent renewable, biodegradable raw materials. “W3D” is being realized in the Bavarian town of Langenneufnach, where the seating workshop is based. Just like Teherani’s architecture, the “W3D” is extraordinary in its form: Parametrically constructed, it features an artistic fold that stretches inwards and outwards like a textile. “W3D” appears different from each perspective – closed yet open, robust yet fragile. The minimal surface as described by mathematician H.F. Scherk in 1885 served as the inspiration for the underlying shape, which is given such an expressive figure.
Currently available in the colors black, white, red, sand, and moss, and with covers in black leather and recycled polyester, you can determine individually how much the design should come to the fore. Thanks to its various different versions, the “W3D” is suitable as a stand-alone piece or as part of a group. In addition to the three standard heights of up to 120 centimeters, individual dimensions are also possible. The rounded form of the base and seat of the stool mean the seated person always has three-dimensional movement, which engages and strengthens the back muscles, and an additional soft part made of thermoplastic can also be used to increase the dynamic movement of the sitter if required. “W3D” is complemented by a matching table, which, like the stool, is produced using 3D printing. Wagner Living is planning to add further models to the collection for the upcoming Salone del Mobile.
For Wagner as a company, the “W3D” also sets a new goal: localized production. Production using 3D printing will make it possible to print the stool directly at the location where it is needed, based on simple data transmission. No logistics, no packaging: The product’s environmental footprint could be kept to a minimum. True to its philosophy of redefining sitting and always maintaining movement in every respect, the team at the seating workshop is currently refining the necessary organizational structure. You can take a look at the “W3D”, as well as all other products, for example at the wagnerdesignlab in Langenneufnach, a showcase for future working environments realized by Titus Bernhard Architekten – complete with what is currently one of the largest panes of glass in the world.
