* DESIGN OF
THE YEAR 2009

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.”