Chair with Belly Button: Redefining Comfort and Flexibility

A Lightweight and Portable Seating Solution

The inspiration for Chair with Belly Button came from the idea that people should have more choices to sit comfortably wherever they want. Designer I Chao Wang envisioned a dreamy scenario - a group of floppy and melting forms scattering in a space. These chairs quietly lean against the walls and in the corners like little fellows sleeping. Each chair has its own belly button, adding a touch of playfulness to the design.

What sets Chair with Belly Button apart from other chairs is its unique ability to activate unexpected seating options. The series of sculptural chairs allows users to utilize the spaces around them, such as stairs, floor, or piles of books, to provide a more comfortable sitting experience. The chairs are designed to be small, lightweight, and portable, making them suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

The chair collection consists of three different designs, each with its own purpose. The stair seat is asymmetrical and designed to grip against the vertical surfaces of staircases, preventing flip over. It features an armrest shaped into a smooth concave surface for comfortable resting and body support. The floor seat has a wide disk-like base that stabilizes the chair, while the skinny-tapered seatback enhances comfort for longer sitting. The small seat is compact and fits perfectly on the corners of any flat surface.

Utilizing rotational molding, the chairs are made from hollow and one-part body polyethylene, which reduces weight and gives the seats more flexibility. The surfaces are sandblasted to create a smooth finish, adding to the overall aesthetic appeal of the design.

The Chair with Belly Button project started in September 2010 and finished prototyping in April 2013 in New York. During the design process, I Chao Wang conducted extensive research on sitting postures and studied the supportive structures needed for comfortable seating in unconventional spaces. The chairs were designed to be lightweight and portable, utilizing existing structures as supports to minimize their size.

The unique shapes of the chairs were inspired by the properties of clay. I Chao Wang experimented with melted clay and threw damp clay into corners to observe the distorted shapes after impact. These shapes corresponded to the location of collision and retained the marks of force. The chairs were sculpted to mimic these shapes, creating supportive structures that enhance the sitting experience. The addition of belly buttons adds a visual illusion, turning the chairs into soft and skin-like surfaces with playful personalities.

Chair with Belly Button has received recognition for its innovative design. In 2014, it was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category. This prestigious award is bestowed upon outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that authenticate experience and resourcefulness. Chair with Belly Button exhibits strong technical and creative skills, contributing to quality of life improvements and making the world a better place.

Chair with Belly Button is not just a chair; it is a statement of creativity, flexibility, and comfort. With its unique design and portability, it offers users the freedom to sit comfortably in any space, redefining the concept of conventional seating.