PANE CHAIR

The Pane chair is made of a translucent spongy material called polyester elastomer. A half cylindrical part is covered with a sheet and baked in an oven to fix its shape, with the ends of the arms remaining exactly like two pieces of twisted textile.

But why “pane”? In Italian, “pane” means bread and Tokujin Yoshioka explains that the project’s development closely resembled cookery: he had to try different ingredients and do a lot of oven baking before he got the appropriate recipe. What’s more, the Italian word “pane” sounds good. It reminds us of fine-smelling and inviting panetone or muffins prepared in their paper tubes.

About three years ago, Tokujin was reading National Geographic and came across the wonder of fibres and textiles. He was particularly enthused by fibrous structures that, despite their softness, demonstrate great strength in their capacity to absorb forces. They are heavy but not solid, airy but not hard.Definitely a food for design favourite!

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