Furniture

Rasmus B. Fex’s chair takes cues from tailcoat tuxedos

Alice Laycock

Showroom editor

Presented as part of the Dezeen x The Mindcraft Project 2022 collaboration, Danish designer Rasmus B. Fex has made a chair that is informed by music. 

Rasmus B. Fex combined a rhythm of blackened Douglas pine planks, steel and leather for his Maestro chair that features in The Mindcraft Project digital exhibition, a collaborative showcase of Danish design by Dezeen and the Copenhagen Design Agency (CDA).

Photograph of black chair on white plinth in front of white background
The Maestro chair features in The Mindcraft Project 2022

The chair is made up of repeating wooden planks that come together to form the seat, back, armrests and structure, united on its top line by a slim metal band.

The ample space between the planks represents pauses in musical scores, with the split down the length of the back reminiscent of the split in an orchestra conductor’s tailcoat tuxedo.

Detail of black chair on white plinth in front of white background
The grain of the wood appears through the timber’s blackened surface

Maestro’s design started out in a slimmer format, which aimed to instil “as much character into the chair with as little material as possible”, according to the designer.

Fex eventually arrived at a chair with thicker elements that walks the line between sculpture and functional seating.

Photograph of small prototype chair in hands of designer
Fex uses 1:5 prototype modelling to perfect his pieces

Furniture designer Rasmus B. Fex aims to deconstruct traditional furniture archetypes in his work, with each piece undergoing a series of rigorous sketching, 1:5 prototype and full-scale modelling to thoroughly test his concepts.

Dezeen x The Mindcraft Project 2022

Dezeen x The Mindcraft Project 2022 is a partnership between Dezeen and Copenhagen Design Agency. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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