CHALLENGE
Originally, the design company Komplot Design learned of an assignment posted by the Swedish prison administration to create a chair for prison cells. A chair that could not be used as a weapon or as a hiding place for objects, which was easy to clean, and which did not make much noise if it was thrown against a wall. The brief caught Komplot Design’s interest to a degree where they could not just shelve the ideas for such a chair even when the Swedish prison administration withdrew the brief and instead chose to continue to produce their chairs in one of the many workplaces within the prison system. Fortunately, Rolf Hay, the furniture manufacturer HAY, was interested when he was presented with the initial ideas and sketches – and the process could begin.

PROCESS
As part of the design process a cloth covers the chair for protection. NOBODY refers to a ‘dark side’ of the chair’s life. The cover blurs the outline of the chair while simultaneously suggesting it. But this is a cover one can sit on without having a ‘chair’ underneath. The cover is empty – the chair has been removed, but the cloth ‘remembers’ the chair and preserves its shape.
NOBODY is manufactured in one continuous process from a thermo-pressed polyester fibre mat – PET felt. The process requires no additives (glue, etc.) or any other materials such as screws or reinforcements. The PET felt is 100% recyclable and made mainly from discarded soda and water bottles.

RESULT
NOBODY is the result of an exciting and innovative design process that has achieved the seemingly impossible and set new construction standards. Furthermore, the chair is light and stackable, and the chosen material contributes to a good indoor climate in the form of air circulation and acoustics. A subsequent addition is LITTLE NOBODY.

Design discipline Furniture design
Company Hay
Design company Komplot Design