We love a flat-pack design – it’s easy to transport, unpack and assemble (usually). But once it’s out of the box, most flat-pack furniture is pretty much the same as the standard 3-dimensional. If you ever wish you could occasionally revert back to two dimensions for easy storage, you’ll enjoy the Zebra Chair by designer Dieter Paul. You’ll like it even more because it’s made with renewable beech wood and recyclable aluminum.
The wooden stripes of this Zebra scissor into each other, allowing the chair to nearly disappear when folded. It’s perfect for any compact apartment that needs some stowaway furniture for space efficiency. It’s also great for a picnic due to the weather-hardy materials. And for those of who need a little extra comfort, a seat cushion is available in various colors.
This zebra’s not the cheapest, coming in at over $450 USD, so we have to hope the price buys some astonishing versatility and durability — or perhaps has superior artistic merit like the kindred Pick Chair from Studio Dror.
It would be nice to think that it could be made from recycled rather than recyclable materials – this really annoys me – it always feels like a linguistic trick to portray/boost lacking environmental credentials, its fine when you look at an object that isn’t obviously recyclable but promoting a timber object by saying its recyclable is just not right.
There’s an Art and Science to design. This design looks like all ‘Science’, and no ‘Art’. Think Esamu Noguchi’s classic glass topped coffe table… a beautiful mix of Art & Design Science. This design falls sway short in that regard.
$450 for a flimsy, folding chair. Yawn. Is this a solution for which there was no real need? Designers could try to focus on something other than a chair or a lamp. It feels like designsturbation. Could one craigslist or IKEA a better solution? This chair has essentially 1 leg due to the flat bottom. Hhhmmm, kinda limits it to flat floors, unless it comes with a shim kit. Sustainability should begin with a necessity to create other than to make $$$. It should include a fresh critical approach to the object and its intended users. “Coolness” should venture further than a “knee-jerk” reaction to aesthetics or mechanistic features. Would you let Gramma use this to change a light bulb?…Because it would happen.
Don’t like it at all. There’s an Art and Science to design. This design looks like all ‘Science’, and no ‘Art’. Think Esamu Noguchi’s classic glass topped coffe table… a beautiful mix of Art & Design Science. This design falls sway short in that regard.
Richie K
Looks like it has very little lateral strength. lean over sideways and it’d probably collapse on you. I do like the idea of being completely flat when stored though.
The seat is too flat – it does not look ergonomically correct. Other than that, it’s a very cool design.
It’s a wonderful idea, but I can’t help but think that the chair pictured looks a wee bit uncomfortable… Real thin wood and it sticks out right where your under-knee would be!