Octave Looping Plywood Chair by Estampille 52

The Octave lounge chair is made entirely from birch plywood, with concentric circles of the material being cut to create an egg shaped furniture piece. 2-dimensional cross sections have been incrementally angled to form both a seat and backrest in this positively 3 dimensional chair.

The corners of the birch plywood backrest segments have been planed to increase surface area that is in contact with the back for a more comfortable sit, as has the lip of the seat. While the design might look eccentric, careful consideration has clearly been taken for ergonomics as well as aesthetics.

The designer Guilhem Huynh likens the rings of the Octave chair to the growth rings of a tree from which its age can be determined.

I can’t quite decipher whether these looping orbits of plywood fit perfectly within one another, and could therefor be cut from a single board of plywood. If they don’t, it would certainly be a missed opportunity with regards to material usage, but if this is indeed the case then this is a truly remarkable piece of design.

Octavia Barstool

Estampille 52 have also designed a bar stool variation on the Octave lounge chair, which incorporates an extra plywood circle to serve as a footrest. The pronounced looping backrest of lounge chair has instead been swapped for a cropped support, but this shortcoming has been replaced by an equally elegant leg also made of cut out plywood.