Dezeen Magazine

David Adjaye's Double Zero chair for Moroso celebrates "the power of welding"

Movie: architect David Adjaye tells the story behind his first seating range for Moroso in our latest exclusive movie for the Italian furniture brand.

Double Zero chair by David Adjaye for Moroso

Adjaye's Double Zero range of chairs, which Moroso launched at the Salone del Mobile furniture fair in Milan this year, features two circular padded cushions as the seat and backrest.

These are supported by a frame of bent stainless steel tubes, which are welded together where they touch.

Double Zero chair by David Adjaye for Moroso

"I developed the Double Zero series to be really padded and cushioned and then worked on a metal framing system that would be slightly complicated," Adjaye explains in the movie, which was filmed at Moroso's showroom in London.

"The frame really talks about the power and opportunity of welding."

Double Zero chair by David Adjaye for Moroso

The Double Zero chair comes in a variety of different chrome finishes, with a choice of plain or patterned upholstery.

Double Zero chair by David Adjaye for Moroso

It is also available as a bar stool and a small two-seater sofa, with a pair of pads placed side by side.

Double Zero chair by David Adjaye for Moroso

"The design has a very strong signature, but is very much able to become a family," the architect says.

Aishti Centre by David Adjaye
Visualisation of the Aïshti Centre by Adjaye Associates

Adjaye originally designed the chair for the Aïshti Foundation, a new cultural centre by Adjaye Associates in Beirut, Lebanon, which is due to be completed this year.

"It's an art foundation, retail and a wellness centre all in one," he explains. "I wanted a chair that didn't look like production furniture that had been ordered in. I wanted it to feel like it was part of the architecture."

Double Zero chair by David Adjaye for Moroso

Adjaye showed the designs to Moroso creative director Patrizia Moroso, who immediately wanted to produce the chair.

David Adjaye and Patrizia Moroso

"Very quickly she said, 'I really love it and I'd like to take it on as our first collaboration,'" he recalls. "So what started off as a series of sketches about a building quickly became my first full range with Moroso, which is very exciting."


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He continues: "Patrizia totally understands design and totally understands when a designer has an intuition. She's able to really sense that very quickly."

David Adjaye portrait

This movie was produced by Dezeen for Moroso. The music used is a track called Qix by UK producer 800xL.

It is the latest in a series of movies about the Italian brand's 2015 products, which you can watch on our YouTube playlist: