Kelp Chair
 | |
| Designer | Alexander Westerlund |
|---|---|
| Date | 2021 |
| Made in | Sweden |
| Materials | Recycled fishing-net plastic, wood fibre |
| Height | 84 cm (33 in) |
| Width | 40 cm (16 in) |
| Depth | 50 cm (20 in) |
| Collection | Nationalmuseum, Röhsska Museum |
The Kelp Chair is a chair designed by Alexander Westerlund in 2021 and developed with Interesting Times Gang.[1][2] Made from recycled fishing net plastic and wood fibre using large-scale 3D printing, the chair was originally designed for Black Milk Gastro Bar in Stockholm, Sweden.[3]
The chair is part of the collections of the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg,[1][2] and won a German Design Award in 2024.[4]
Design
[edit]The chair originated as a design for Black Milk Gastro Bar, a Stockholm restaurant project by chefs Niclas Jönsson and Daniel Höglander.[3][5]
The chair is made from recycled fishing-net plastic and wood fibre and formed through large-scale 3D printing.[6][7][8] The fishing nets are from Scandinavian waters, and the chair's material includes bio-based composite.[2] The chair is 84 cm × 40 cm × 50 cm (33 in × 16 in × 20 in) and weighs approximately 10 kg (22 lb).[1]
The chair's curved form references kelp and other marine vegetation.[9] Westerlund told Lianhe Zaobao that the shape was based on the movement of kelp in water.[10] The chair's curved form contributes to its structural strength.[11]
The chair's material can be ground down and reused in later production.[3][8]
Development and exhibitions
[edit]The Kelp Collection was first exhibited publicly during Stockholm Design Week in 2022 and was subsequently shown at the London Design Festival and Grand Designs Live in Birmingham, where it was selected for Kevin McCloud's Green Heroes showcase.[12][13]
In 2023, the Kelp Chair was presented at the Stockholm Furniture Fair, where Sight Unseen included it among its selections from the fair.[14]
For Milan Design Week in 2024, Interesting Times Gang developed a version of the chair using a biocomposite incorporating Nordic sugar kelp. The version was presented in the Is One Life Enough? exhibition at Lampo as part of the Isola Design Festival.[15]
At the 2025 Stockholm Furniture Fair, Interesting Times Gang introduced new colours and biomaterials for the Kelp Collection under the title Memories of Marrakech.[16][17] In April, the Kelp Chair was selected for Weaving the Future: 2025 Sustainable Design Exhibition at Tianfu Design Industrial Park in Chengdu, China.[18] The exhibition formed part of a sustainable-design programme launched by Red Dot Design Museum Xiamen.[19]
In 2026, a limited-edition version titled Kelp Chair – Iridescent, developed with Finnish material company Shimber, was presented at Stockholm Creative Edition.[20] In July, the Kelp Collection was included in Design for the Real World: 10th Anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals at the Fosun Art Center in Shanghai, an exhibition co-initiated by Red Dot Design Museum Xiamen.[21]
Awards and recognition
[edit]In 2022, the Kelp Chair was longlisted in the Seating Design category of the Dezeen Awards.[22] The same year, House & Garden included the Kelp Chair in its Design 100 list.[23]
The chair won the German Design Award in the Excellent Product Design – Furniture category in 2024.[24][4] It also received a Silver award in the Seating & Comfort Furniture – Chair category of the 2024 NY Product Design Awards,[25] a Green Good Design award,[26] and a BIG SEE Product Design Award in the Home and Living category.[27]
The Kelp Chair was a finalist in the 2024 Seoul Design Award[28] and was named an honoree in the Residential Seating category of Interior Design magazine's 2024 Best of Year Awards.[29] The Kelp Collection also received a Good Design Awards in the Furniture category.[30]
Reception
[edit]In 2024, Tidskriften Rum suggested that the Kelp Chair could be regarded as a modern classic.[31]
In 2025, a peer-reviewed article in ZoneModa Journal discussed the chair in relation to sustainable furniture design and the combination of natural and artificial materials.[32]
Collections
[edit]The Kelp Chair is represented in the collections of the Nationalmuseum[1] and the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, Sweden.[2] As of September 2026, Nationalmuseum lists it as displayed in Room 1403 of the Västra galleriet.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Kelp Chair". Nationalmuseum collection (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Kelp Chair". Röhsska Museum collection (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Yang, Vy (25 April 2022). "This Kelp Chair Is 3D Printed Using Recycled Fishing Nets + Wood Fiber". Design Milk. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
- 1 2 Haidvogl, Vanessa (4 March 2024). "Design der Woche: Schwedische Kreation entlastet Weltmeere". Kurier (in German). Retrieved 3 May 2026.
- ↑ Mannfolk Eklund, Lisa Marie (7 February 2024). "Stolen". Tidskriften Rum (in Swedish). No. 2. pp. 41–42.
- ↑ Rodríguez Frías, Ana (April 2024). "El club de los ecolovers". Elle Decoration España (in Spanish). No. 223. p. 54.
- ↑ Karsemeijer, Liza (2024). "De zee geeft". Elle Decoration NL (in Dutch). No. 5. p. 119.
- 1 2 Thuỳ Như (14 June 2026). "Thiết kế sản phẩm bền vững – Những nhịp điệu tái sinh". Elle Decoration Vietnam (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ "Kelp Chair: alga ihlette 3D-nyomtatott szék". Marie Claire Hungary (in Hungarian). 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
- ↑ "渔网制成椅子". Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese). 14 April 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ↑ "Projekt: Kelp Chair". Arkitektur (in Swedish). No. 1. 2026. p. 32.
- ↑ Thawer, Inaara (21 October 2022). "The first recyclable restaurant in Sweden has kelp chairs". Inhabitat. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Mead, Neil (28 October 2022). "Kevin McCloud announces trailblazing sustainable Green Heroes". DIY Week. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Singer, Jill (16 February 2023). "The Best of Stockholm Design Week 2023, Part II: The Fair and Around Town". Sight Unseen. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Kelp Chair". Isola Design Community. 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Singer, Jill (13 February 2025). "25 Projects We Loved at 2025's Stockholm Design Week". Sight Unseen. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "New Exhibition Preview: "Weaving the Future: 2025 Sustainable Design Exhibition" Opens in Chengdu!". Red Dot Design Museum Xiamen. 19 April 2025. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Weaving Futures: Collaborative Explorations in Sustainable Revitalization". Red Dot Design Museum Xiamen. 2025. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Interesting Times Gang". Stockholm Creative Edition. 2026. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ ""为真实的世界设计：可持续发展目标10周年"展览即将启幕". Target Vie (in Chinese). 29 June 2026. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Kelp Chair". Dezeen Awards. 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "'Kelp' chair". Design 100. House & Garden. October 2022. p. 75.
- ↑ "Kelp Chair". German Design Award. 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Kelp Chair". NY Product Design Awards. 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Kelp Chair 2023". The Chicago Athenaeum. 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Kelp Chair". BIG SEE. 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "2024 Winner & Finalists". Seoul Design Award. 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "2024 Best of Year Award Winners". Interior Design. 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "GOOD DESIGN 2024: Awarded Product Designs and Graphics and Packaging" (PDF). The Chicago Athenaeum. 30 December 2024. p. 18. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Dagliden Hunt, Jonna (2024). "Poseidon knackar på". Tidskriften Rum (in Swedish). No. 6. p. 126.
- ↑ La Fortuna, Loredana (2025). "La natura è di casa". ZoneModa Journal (in Italian). 15 (1): 169–180. doi:10.6092/issn.2611-0563/22098.