Felt forum: ben mickus’s innovative felt chair at the cooper hewitt

MSLK’s good friend (and architectural guru) Ben Mickus has an absolutely amazing chair on exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum‘s “Fashioning Felt” exhibit on display March 6 – September 7. Both eco-friendly and well-designed, this chair was a real standout. In Ben’s own words: The chair is a sculpted assembly of rapidly-renewable felt sheets, supplanting foams, upholstery and anything applied. The cascading edges of the felt sheets create an integral pattern with both a visual and tactile effect. The Relief Chair’s contours invite the user to sit back and relax. The body of the chair is a layered assembly of medium-density wool felt sheets, adhered to each other and sleeved over an internal steel frame. The felt body and frame rest on break-formed stainless steel legs, with a satin finish. The composition juxtaposes weight and weightlessness with an intrepid stance. The chair makes a statement in any room or lounge. Having just seen the chair at the opening tonight, I felt [sic] the whole exhibition was rather remarkable, showcasing such an ordinary material in extraordinary ways. Everything from clothing to furniture to wall hangings was completely rethought. Let me run through a few highlights.. The museum’s stately solarium was tricked-out in a felt/lace-draped paradise: This felt rock looked much better in person: This topographic felt map of NYC was directly behind Ben’s chair: A felt bassinet: These are floor tiles that can be peeled up and put over cushions for back support/lounging: Felt + LEDs + Carpet = Awesome The man of the hour… Mr Ben Mickus: Pus his wife Taryn (and Sheri):