Motichair: A Fusion of Tradition and Innovation

Designers Koma Yang, Yuxiao Dong, and Jiaxin Liang Create a Unique Bar Chair

The Motichair is inspired by the arches and moon gates found in ancient Chinese gardens. The circular holes in the design not only offer a broader visual sense but also symbolize unobstructed communication. The designers took inspiration from the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, a time when people gather to chat and enjoy the moonlight, to create a chair that facilitates conversation and thought.

What sets the Motichair apart is its unique integration of aesthetics and structure. The design breaks away from traditional structures, using circles to connect support points, effectively balancing forces and reducing material loss. The use of mortise and tenon joints and full hidden dovetail joints make the chair's structure more stable.

The Motichair is made from a carbon-fiber composite material designed in the traditional mortise and tenon structure. This material is combined with modern high-strength material made using the wood steam bending procedure, improving the chair's practicality and comfort. The chair's dimensions are 856mm*485mm*765mm.

The design process of the Motichair was a meticulous one. The designers recruited 200 volunteers from different regions, ages, and genders to participate in research. After analyzing the differences in their living habits and hip shapes, the designers selected the most suitable curve radius from 17 models. They also determined the ideal diameter of the circle when placing two chairs side by side, ensuring a comfortable distance for communication.

The Motichair project, which began in December 2019 and was completed in February 2020 in Shenzhen, China, faced several challenges. The designers had to increase the strength of the chair while reducing its weight and size. They also had to consider sitting comfort while innovatively adopting a circular skeleton, breaking traditional thoughts on seat structure.

The Motichair is a testament to the power of innovative design and meticulous craftsmanship. Its unique blend of tradition and modernity, aesthetics and structure, is a testament to the designers' creativity and skill. The chair's Silver A' Furniture Design Award is a testament to its remarkable level of excellence and innovation.