BLOOM
A hibiscus seen against the light had Danish architect and furniture designer Hannes Stephensen pick up his pencil and draw the first sketches for a new chair.
The neatly arranged, transparent petals created a new pattern where they overlapped each other. The stamens stood out from the calm, elegant petals; much like fireworks.
The striking constrast between the peaceful petals and the potent stamens makes up the design principles of Bloom.
MATERIAL
Bloom is made of Danish ash.
Ash is a sophisticated wood; white with a golden shade and surprisingly brown heartwood. For Bloom, pieces of the heartwood have been hand-picked to emulate the shadows created by the overlapping petals.
When growing under difficult circumstances, ash develops flamed grains. Flamed pieces have been carefully selected for Bloom to add a bit of drama to the subtle chair.
Thus, Bloom is one with its material; the boldest characteristics of the ash have been integrated as indispensable design elements.
CREATION
Stephensen’s first pencil drawings explored the natural beauty of a hibiscus. In collaboration with Egeværk, the actual construction of the chair began.
The construction of Bloom is complicated. The four hind legs are shaped entirely by hand to create the exact right lines. They stretch into the soaring back, held together by a hidden apron. Here, we find the elegance and potency of the stamens and a nod to Gothic and modernist cathedrals alike.
All pieces of wood – cut from the same log – are carefully arranged to ensure the most beautiful flow of the grain. The perfect pattern of the overlapping petals come to life, uninterrupted by visible joints.
The front legs are triangular and add a stem-like quality to the picture.
The complextity of the construction does its job: Nothing disturbs the tranquility of the overlapping petals, and the stamens can soar freely towards the sky.
BLOOM
Bloom is the love child of many opposing principles; the feminine and masculine characteristics of the flower; the meeting of light, transparency and shadow; wild experimentation and painstaking precision, a gravity-defying expression and a sturdy construction.
A romantic natural emblem turned into a striking chair deeply marked by Danish modernist architecture and furniture design. An invitation to embrace life’s beautiful contradictions.