Dezeen School Shows: a reading chair with a built-in bookshelf and a series of mirrors made from bent plywood and polished metal are included in Dezeen's latest school show by students at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Also featured is a waxed birch plywood chair designed for users to comfortably lean back in, and an economical seat and side table made from two halves of pre-fabricated plywood crates.

Estonian Academy of Arts

School: Estonian Academy of Arts
Courses: Product Design, BA
Tutors:  Nick Ross and Mihkel Mäll
Photography: Andra Junalainen
Set Design: Agnes Isabelle Veevo, Birgita Siim and Aaro Veiderpass

School statement:

"Bend to Break is the latest project from the students of the Estonian Academy of Arts, Faculty of Design. The project is an investigation into the plywood industry.

"It specifically focuses on A M Luther Woodworking Company for Mechanical Woodworking, which was founded in Tallinn, Estonia, in 1897.

"Students have focused on the local traditions, typology, and craftsmanship through the uses and applications of birch plywood."

Lean Back Chair and Side Chair by Marissa Mutt

"Marrisa Mutt's Lean Back Chair is made from waxed birch plywood. The design encapsulates a similar rationalisation of seating to that which led A M Luther Woodworking Company for Mechanical Woodworking's factory to its most successful export, three-plywood veneer seats and panels.

"The earliest plywood furniture pieces were low-cost tram-car seating and the use of plywood wasn't disguised. This served as an inspiration for the Lean Back Chair and Side Chair. "

Student: Marissa Mutt
Course: Product Design, BA
Email: marissa.mutt[at]artun.ee

Single Seater and Side Table by Hanna-Liisa Haukka

"One of the factory's most important contributions to the development of plywood technology was the introduction of waterproof adhesives for plywood shipping crates.

"The furniture in Hannah-Liisa Haukka's project is made up of two halves of pre-fabricated plywood crates, which the furnture is transported in, making the Single Seater and Side Table economical and eliminating packaging waste."

Student: Hanna-Liisa Haukka
Course: Product Design, BA
Email: hanna-liisa.haukka[at]artun.ee

Reading Chair by Katariina Kivi

"Acknowledging the company's commitment to its employees' wellbeing, Karariina Kivi's Reading Chair is inspired by the typical long chair, associated with leisure. The chair is made from birch plywood, which has been stained and varnished.

"Uncommonly for the 19th-century, workers' health and social welfare were highly prioritised. The Reading Chair has been designed with the factory worker's club library in mind and includes a built-in bookshelf."

Student: Katariina Kivi
Course: Product Design, BA
Email: katariina.kivi[at]artun.ee

Mirrors by Kertu Liisa Lepik

"The series of mirrors is made from birch plywood and polished stainless steel. The project is inspired by Plymax, which is a metal-faced plywood that was produced by the factory.

"Originally used as finishing material for partitions, dressing cubicles, and doors, the mirrors are the result of a series of experiments that led to Kertu Liisa Lepik's technique of pairing bent plywood with polished sheets of metal."

Student: Kertu Liisa Lepik
Course: Product Design, BA
Email: kertu.lepik[at]artun.ee

Partnership content: This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the Estonian Academy of Arts. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.