* DESIGN OF
THE YEAR 2009

Paper Fold

Exit Design

DISCIPLINE
Product & Industrial Design

CONTACT

exitid@singnet.com.sg

Exit Design was established by P C Ee in 1997. Since then, the Singapore-based furniture design and manufacturing company has become well-known for producing contemporary furnishings that capture the spirit of the times.

The Paper Fold chair was created for Exit Design by Kelvin Teo, who aims to “use design as a tool to shape the way people experience objects, hence making life easier, better and more significant”. Says Mr Teo,

“Design has reached a point of no boundaries; it has changed the perception of how objects are perceived. A design can have many folds of meanings. Touching the emotions and providing different levels of experience have been the main framework of my design philosophy.”
Determined to create furniture that is both iconic and sculptural, Mr Teo set out to explore and redefine the form of the modern lounge chair. The inspiration for Paper Fold came from an experimental attempt at transforming a two-dimensional piece of paper into a three-dimensional object by folding it. He was also inspired by an affection for the “X” symbol, which “has a certain influence (X-factor) on people”. As Mr Teo describes it, “the final concept was complete when the two were fused together”.

After completing the paper model of the chair, the challenge was to translate it into a fullscale model. Paper Fold was initially made of fabric and was heavy because of the metal structure. The process was also tedious because the full-scale model was constructed manually by bending the rods into shape before welding the internal structure. Although the curves intersected with each other, there was also a void in between that caused a weakness in the seat, so reinforcement bars were added. This process continued until the correct proportions were achieved.

With such a unique design came the challenge of fabrication. Says Mr Teo, “At first I had no clue how to make the design into a full-scale model. When I showed my paper model and sketches to some manufacturers, many of them told me that it was not possible to fabricate without high-tech machinery. So I did my own research and spent some time observing the workers as they worked on other projects in the factory. From there, I thought of a way and discussed it with the manufacturer.”

Subsequently, with advice and input from Exit Design founder P C Ee and further research and development, the chair was fabricated in fibreglass material without the metal frame. This reduced the thickness of the chair, and hence the weight, significantly. In fact, Mr Teo notes, he sought to make the chair as thin as possible while ensuring that it was still able to support weight, an innovative element that contributes to the fluid lines of the overall design.

As this was a rocking chair, an additional challenge lay in ensuring that the calculation of the chair weight in balance with the rocking angle was precise so that the chair would remain stable while in motion.

The final product is a sculptural, organic rocking chair made from reinforced fibreglass and coated with glossy lacquer. The fluid and continuous form of Paper Fold creates a strong presence in all spaces. The positive and negative spaces formed by voids make this rocking chair exciting to view at every angle, and versatile as an ultra modern lounge chair suitable for both indoors and outdoors. As Mr Teo puts it, “The chair expresses itself through form and colour. Every part of this chair is special, and because of the curves and fluidity, the chair looks different at any angle. It’s a design that will not go unnoticed when placed in any environment.”

Paper Fold is now manufactured, marketed and retailed by Exit Design, and has been exhibited in several countries. According to Mr Teo, seeing the final product and having it sold in different parts of the world have been the most satisfying part of this project.

Mr Teo is “delighted and proud” to have won the President’s Design Award. He says, “It is recognition for me and also for Exit Design.”

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ABOUT THE DESIGNER

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DESIGNERS
Exit Design
Kelvin Teo
P C Ee

MANUFACTURER
Exit Design

Front View

Paper Fold indoors

Initial paper model of the Paper Fold chair

The first full scale model/prototype in metal frame structure

Fabrication process:chair wrapped in fibreglass finish ready for sand down

Fabrication process:chair wrapped in fibreglass finish ready for sand down

Fabrication process: chair is spray paint finish

Fabrication process: chair is spray paint finish

Abstract View

‘‘Keep going. Persevere, believe in what you want to achieve.’’

Insights from the Recipient

What were the main challenges you faced when you were working on the design, and how did you resolve them?

Kelvin Teo: I faced two main challenges. The first involved the form of the chair. Because of the organic shape we wanted, it was very difficult to design the form. The second involved the cost of manufacturing. In the end, I use a more primitive technique – I manually shaped the structure out of steel bars to which I then applied sheets of fiberglass to form the surface.

Citation

Jury Citation

Singapore-based furniture design and manufacturing company Exit Design fuses art and design in everyday products that respond to contemporary lifestyles. Since starting Exit in 1997, the founder, P C Ee, has emerged as a distinctive design voice, producing a series of furnishings that is now becoming well-known worldwide as expressions of the contemporary zeitgeist.

His designs have an aesthetic personality that is recognisably playful and inventive, while also shaping materials in original and challenging ways.

P C Ee’s commitment to creative collaboration has made Exit an entrepreneurial incubator for other designers in Singapore and overseas. An example is the Paper Fold chair, a fluid form rocking lounge chair that was created for Exit by Kelvin Teo.

Paper Fold is one continuous folded strip of moulded fibreglass, available in five gloss lacquer colours and five fabric coverings. It has a well thought-out use of materials and is a skilful solution to challenging technical problems of production.

Paper Fold is both a functional piece of furniture and an arresting design-art piece. It exercises a kind of emotional magnetism in any space. Its mobius-like arabesque shape insinuates itself into your attention. You can’t ignore it and you can’t resist sitting in it. Rocking in its embrace turns out to be an agreeably comfortable and happy experience. It just makes you smile. Paper Fold’s photogenic qualities have made it a favourite image in design magazines around the world, like Wallpaper and ICON, where it is viewed as a sculptural commentary on the idea of a chair as much as it is a functional piece of furniture.

Paper Fold was featured at the Milan Furniture Fair and imm cologne exhibition of 2009.

Earlier this year, Singapore’s Business Times wrote an article noting P C’s new strategy to extend the international reach of both his sales and his stable of creative collaborators.

 

VIEW JURORS

Nominator Citation

MRS MARYON AIMER
INTERNATIONAL SUPPLIERS SELECTION IN DESIGN FOR INTERIOR NEWS
CONVETUS AB

The Paper Fold Modern Lounge Chair is a masterpiece of modern furniture, defined by its sensual organic form and negative space. This sleek alternative to traditional seating is part rocking chair and part sculpture. The name itself is evident in the smooth sculptural lines and comfortably angled seat that define the Paper Fold. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor use! The shape of this beautiful rocking chair is fluid in form. Kelvin mischievously exploits the formal and functional possibilities of the materials he uses to the fullest. Paper Fold is like a sculpture, visually pleasing from all sides. Balanced, organic and beautiful to look at.

 

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