‘concrete bench’ by tejo remy and rené veenhuizen

an industrial mundane material generally associated with building construction, concrete is known for its solidity, strength and durability. often used to create large monolithic forms, designers have started to manipulate the cold, rigid medium, forming it into organic and fluid furniture pieces expressing more movement and softer lines with concrete which usually seems static.

dutch designers tejo remy and rené veenhuizen have developed a series of concrete pieces – a bench, table and chairs – which offers the look of inflated furniture. each one is cast as a single object in plastic sheeting or waterproof PVC with metal fibers mixed into the material compound and steel rods embedded within the legs and for reinforcement.

‘spurt’ lounge chair by paulsberg

produced from a carbon-textile reinforced concrete, the ‘spurt’ lounge chair by german studio paulsberg takes its form from the silhouette of a sprinter, getting ready to start a race. each chair is handmade due to the complexity of its shape.

‘seat slug’ by rael san fratello architects

made from a cement-based polymer developed by california-based studio rael san fratello architects, the ‘seat slug’ is a biomorphic interpretation of a bench which demonstrates the development of one-of-a-kind building components made using 3D modeling software. it is composed of 230 individual rapid-manufactured elements.

‘concrete things chair’ by komplot for nola see more of about this project here

‘concrete things chair’ by danish studio komplot for swedish brand nola is a monolithic concrete seating object.

‘stitched concrete bench’ by florian schmid see more of about this project here

florian schmid‘s ‘stitched concrete’ bench, chair and stools are constructed from a material called ‘concrete canvas’ CC. the substance is a canvas medium which is impregnated with cement when drenched in water, allowing the german designer to fold it into desired forms and proportions. the seams are stitched together using brightly colored string, giving the concrete the look of textile.

‘concrete rocking chair’ by metrofarm

the ‘concrete rocking chair’ by german studio metrofarm is a subtly curved, moulded concrete form whose seat sits directly on the ground.

‘concrete chair’ by stefan zwicky

swiss designer stefan zwicky takes le corbusier’s ‘LC2 armchair’ and transforms it into a monolithic piece of furniture which expresses the weight and cold nature of concrete.

‘arc table’ by foster + partners see more about this project here

drawing its formal qualities from temporary fabric structures, the ‘arc table’ by foster + partners for italitan company molteni&C. successfully makes concrete appear soft and fluid. the base of the design is made from a composition of cement and organic fibre.

‘folded concrete objects’ by tim mackerodt see more about this project here

the ‘FALT.series’ by german designer tim mackerodt is made from a fiber-reinforced concrete that is produced by g.tecz. the material is rolled-out and manually folded into flexible molds to create each form.

‘unpølished’ by dik scheepers image © kristof vrancken see more about this project here

the ‘unpølished’ furniture series by dik scheepers is made from moulding a composite of paper and cement. the dutch designer experiments with a variety of paper types mixing it with concrete to give each object a distinct character. each of the pieces are combined with a wood base frame offering a softer warmer look to the designs.

‘baztek stools’ by yael tandler see more about this project here

israeli designer yael tandler has produced the ‘baztek stool’. a soft mould is filled with cement which is then inserted into a form and pressed into a base structure of wooden legs which are locked together by the concrete once dry.

‘m. bench’ by grupo bondi see more about this project here

argentinian design studio grupo bondi have conceived ‘m.bench’ an outdoor seating piece which gives concrete a plush-look. using patented technology, the creatives have produced what looks like an upholstered ottoman.

‘loop chair’ by willy guhl

in 1954, swiss designer willy guhl conceived ‘loop chair’, an outdoor furniture piece handmade from eternit, a fibre cement.