Harada based the project on a Surrealist image by American portrait photographer Philippe Halsman called Dali Atomicus, which illustrates a silhouetted chair crashing towards a chaotic scene that includes flying cats, a bucket of water and the artist Salvador Dali suspended in mid-air.

The designer told Dezeen, "If I could change one thing about the photograph, I would transform the chair into a rubber one; by doing so, I could add a little ease to the photograph because a rubber chair would inflict less damage to the floor, walls, and the chair itself."

The elastic material provides a more malleable chair, so the back and legs bend in response to the sitter's posture.

There are two seats in the Chair for Dali series: one chair has a square back rest and is made of rubber with 70% hardness whilst the other has a rounded back and is made of rubber with 90% hardness, making the leg bracing unnecessary.

Above: Dali Atomicus by Philippe Halsman

Other rubber furniture we've featured include Thomas Schnur's table with plungers for feet and a stool made from recycled rubber.

Chair photographs are by Kazutaka Fujimoto.

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Kei Harada appeared first on Dezeen.

Designed by Benjamin Hubert for Moroso, these circular tables have been made by manipulating expanded steel, which is more commonly found on industrial equipment and architecture, to form cylinders and disks for the legs and tops.

"In reference to its industrial origins, Net is purposefully geometric and simple in its design language," explains the designer. "The tables have a large surface with expanded steel perforations that give a feeling of lightness while being small enough to not allow small objects to slip through."

The tables come in a range of powder-coated paint colours and are available in various different sizes.

Net was launched at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan last month where Benjamin Hubert also unveiled a chair that weighs just three kilograms.

Hubert and Moroso also recently collaborated on a chair with a hammock-like back and a chair that looks like it's wrapped up in a cloak.

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for Moroso appeared first on Dezeen.

Called Cradle, the design is a cross between an upholstered lounge chair and a flexible hammock.

The steel frame of the hammock supports a textile mesh, which has been CNC-cut to allow it to stretch around the sitter's shape.

"The chair's aesthetic is purposefully architectural with a sharp rectilinear backrest contrasted with a softer seating area," explains Hubert.

The chair was launched in Milan last month alongside another of chair by Hubert for Moroso, which looks as if it's wrapped in a cloak – see all Dezeen's coverage of Milan 2013.

Other designs by Hubert we've featured lately include a metal frame armchair that weighs only three kilograms and a family of terracotta pots with rubber lids – see all design by Benjamin Hubert.

Other Moroso furniture we've published includes Patricia Urquiola's chairs with backrests wrapped in rush and Nendo's chair shaped like a stiletto heel – see all furniture by Moroso.

Here's some more information from the designer:

Cradle is a new lounge chair launching at Salone Internazionale del Mobile in April 2013. The project is the result of a close collaboration between Benjamin Hubert and Italian brand Moroso.

The product is a unique blend of two typologies of seating – a net structured hammock and a conventional upholstered lounge chair. The chair's aesthetic is purposefully architectural with a sharp rectilinear backrest contrasted with a softer seating area, breaking traditional rules of seating typology and styling.

The chair stems from the studio's materials-driven, process-led industrial design approach, research into the construction of mesh materials, and a study of the relationships between traditional seating components.

Cradle utilises a custom-made cut pattern that allows a non-elastic textile to stretch in a controlled manner in a three dimensional form. This allows for the correct tension to comfortably support the body and both visually and physically reduces the product's weight and cost.

The chair comprises a metal frame supporting a non-elastic textile with a geometric cut pattern, which cradles an upholstered seat block.

Materials: CNC-cut Kvadrat textile mesh, steel frame, moulded polyurethane, Kvadrat textile

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for Moroso appeared first on Dezeen.

Named Talma after a type of cloak, this chair by Benjamin Hubert for Moroso, has a fabric cover wrapped snugly around its frame.

The chair is composed of a softly padded textile folded around a lightweight CNC-shaped steel frame with integrated support straps.

The stretchy fabric is custom made by Innofa and is secured in place with a series of zips and two fastenings at the front.

Talma was presented by Moroso at the Salone Internazionale Mobile in Milan last month, where the brand also launched a family of chairs influenced by the shape of a hood. 

Other chairs we've recently featured by Moroso include a chair with a backrest wrapped in rush and a chair made from a single loop of material.

Benjamin Hubert also unveiled an armchair that weighs just three kilograms in Milan.

We interviewed the designer at our Dezeen Live event during 100% Design at the end of last year, where he talked about the importance of branding for designers.Watch the interview »

See all design for Moroso »
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for Moroso appeared first on Dezeen.

Called Toshi, which means 'city' in Japanese, the cabinets by Luca Nichetto for Casamania have geometric grooves in their outer surfaces.

"Toshi is a family of cabinets relating to the mosaic decorations that can be found in some buildings in Tokyo" explains the designer.

Made from milled and lacquered MDF, the cabinets come in a variety of shapes, heights and colours, and can be combined in numerous configurations.

Smaller containers in contrasting colours are also available, designed to compliment the family of sideboards.

The cabinets are mounted on either a low, recessed base or metal square-section legs that raise the cupboards further away from the floor.

Luca Nichetto recenltly teamed up with Japanese studio Nendo to create a range of products including a knitted room-divider and a scaly carpet, which were presented in Milan last month.

Other designs we've recently featured by Luca Nichetto include a lamp called Stewie that is the height, size and luminosity of a TV and a lounge chair with a folding backrest.

See all designs by Luca Nichetto »
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for Casamania appeared first on Dezeen.