2011
author
Jan Godlewski (PL)
title
PLY Plywood Furniture
degree
M.A. project
e-mail
school
Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
supervisor
Wojciech Małolepszy
“Beauty hidden in the structure” might be the best way to define this design, marked by a brilliant approach to the subject and an innovative construction that draws from the properties of the material. As a furniture material, plywood is all advantages. It is light, pleasant to touch, natural, easy to process, and, essentially, non‑toxic, which cannot be said for a great many modern conglomerates. Up till now it has been treated only “one‑dimensionally,” ignoring all its special properties. This designer has proven that making pieces of glued veneers need not be like building a house of cards, using strictly the surfaces. It suffices to observe how the boughs of trees behave in the wind to ask oneself why only plants are able to survive earthquakes and gales. This happens because of the naturally porous structure, which guarantees both stiffness and elasticity. To stiffen veneers that were too thin, to make them serve as a classical construction material, the designer bent the plywood so that it remained tailored to add stiffness. Interestingly enough, the tension from the twisted veneers not only stabilizes the construction, but also secures the flat surfaces in place!