SuperFoam Chair by Rich Gilbert

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dzn_SuperFoam-by-Rich-Gilbert

Here are a couple of images of SuperFoam Chair, a chair made of foam with giant bubbles by designer Rich Gilbert.

dzn_SuperFoam-by-Rich-Gilbert

Gilbert, a student at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College in London, cast the chair in a mold full of hollow plastic balls to create the bubbles.

See a video of Gilbert making the chair on his website. Here's some more info from Gilbert:

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I'm currently studying Industrial Design Engineering at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London and recently produced the SuperFoam chair.

SuperFoam is an experiment in trying to create a super-sized foamed structure, in developing a specialized casting process I could design the properties of the foam itself so it flexed and deformed to create the chair structure.

What if we had the power to manipulate nature’s structures? SuperFoam is a re-creation of naturally occurring reticulated foam structures through a casting process that facilitates designing the properties of the foam itself. By developing the casting process the properties of the foam could be controlled so the chair flexed and deformed to create a supportive structure.

One Response to SuperFoam Chair by Rich Gilbert

  1. daily spread says:

    lovely!

  2. Post says:

    SPONGEBOB !!!

  3. tiffany says:

    This is like the material invented by OMA-Rem Koolhaas in collaboration with Vincent de Rijk for the Prada shop in New York.
    This is the best image I could find, but of you search further you probably also can find the translucent versions:
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FHdIfCQUoQQ/Sfs4CIkob7I/AAAAAAAAAZk/5eHEPKbkRIA/s1600-h/vincent_de_rijk01.jpg

  4. O. says:

    OMA
    Prada in LA
    inside walls

  5. testek says:

    well.. oma\koolhaas also just copied it from frei otto who did exactly the same thing 35 years ago.

  6. I love it !

  7. S.M. says:

    It looks like Algae blooms. Would look great in an eco-rainforest inspired cafe!

  8. ste says:

    love it… specially after watching the video! great work! what is the material exactly? is it hard or soft? would like to touch it…

  9. eric luyckx says:

    shrek’s chair

  10. Prof. Z. says:

    is design evolution to become new as new molecular cooking Vs cooking (see some leading japonese designers as Yoshioka, Nendo, aso)?

  11. Fling says:

    How about the ‘Sneeze Chair’? Furniture for the N1 H1 era.

  12. RAHUL says:

    are these baloons which are blown and put inside whilw casting and what material have u used for casting as in wat plastic….????

    the results are amazing….gr8 wrk dude…

  13. yung says:

    may look worse without the light within…

  14. Evan says:

    I just want to touch and jiggle it, then cut through the middle of it with a knife. Would be hard to clean out any of the dust/spills that would drip down to the innermost voids.

  15. Davidsign says:

    I always wanted to sit on Flubber! :D

  16. rsantosfernandes says:

    Even the technique is the same as OMA-Rem Koolhaas in collaboration with Vincent de Rijk for the Prada shop!
    ONE big problem would be if for exemple someone ordered 1000 chairs PLEASE?

  17. moth says:

    Market to airlines that show Beijing Olympic swimming pool footage. Chair functions as flotation device. Any edge can be used as a pacifier. “Fasten your seat belts. We are in for a bumpy ride”

  18. Ereny El Sisi says:

    This one attract my eyes big time,,,,colors bubels,,

  19. Dustin says:

    It is exactly like the Prada wall. The technique is the same. Its has even been published in an OMA book. Although this is used in an entirely different scenario I think that a reference from the maker should be given because it has clearly been developed. The color is even the same as the Prada Wall. I even have a side table that I made in the exact same manner! Lets give credit people! And the jargon about foam structures and casting processes to flow and …..Was there any analysis done on naturally occurring structures such as this so the concept isn’t so weak? Examination and replication of coral reef organisms?

    Still looks cool though.

  20. This chair is so awesome. The colors is like a light in the dark that looks so attractive.

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