The plastic shell chair is iconic and ubiquitous, used at countless cafes and restaurants throughout the world. The simple form and ergonomic shape makes it practical and inexpensive to produce.
But what if you could keep the form but replace the plastic entirely, using sustainable materials? That’s the idea behind the Mat Chair, developed over a number of years by Foersom & Hiort-Lorenzen and produced by Norman Copenhagen.
With a variety of chair versions made from hemp or hemp + eelgrass, a type of seaweed, it’s clear that the materials have made a giant leap to be formed into strong, versatile furniture.
Both hemp and seaweed are easy to grow and absorb a lot of carbon. Neither require pesticides or fertilizers to grow, and have unique properties that make them good for forming into shapes for furniture.
Hemp fibers are processed and combined with a fully recyclable binder, and then pressed into a chair form. The familiar shape makes the chair approachable and familiar, even though it’s using entirely new materials.
Using eelgrass that has washed up onto coastline of Denmark. The Mat chair that utilizes hemp + eelgrass has a darker look to its pattern.
We love that the familiar forms of the plastic shell chair have been reborn using materials that are much better for the environment.
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