Architecture students create range of chairs designed to help sitter reach nirvana

Every chair was created around the idea of ‘idleness’ out of supportive backs and inviting colours

According to the project’s website: ‘The easy chair is a special type of chair as it allows freedom of expression and liberty of composition’

Interior architecture students have designed a range of steel and aluminium chairs meant to help the sitter reach a level of utmost relaxation: also known as nirvana.

The students, from Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, showcased their colourful meditative chairs at the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair 2018 – and the chairs are something to behold.

According to the project’s website: “The easy chair is a special type of chair as it allows freedom of expression and liberty of composition. It is not so exact and strict in its measurements, so experimentation is possible and the designer can move freely within relatively open borders of form, structure, geometry and dimensions.

“It is a perfect furniture type for sculptural composition, formal expression and artistic ambition.”

Although hard metal doesn’t typically come to mind when thinking about the purest form of meditation, the warm colours and tones of the chairs do invoke an inviting feel – which lecturer Martin Relander said was intentional.

‘It is a perfect furniture type for sculptural composition, formal expression and artistic ambition’ (Aalto University)

Relander said: “The chairs are painted in a range of warm yellow, orange and red hues to create a welcoming feeling for people passing by.

The exhibition invites you to sit down, relax and share a moment with Finnish furniture design students.”

But above all, the students had to create chairs that centred around a focus on “idleness” – or chairs for relaxation.

All of the chairs were made using steel and aluminium (Aalto University)

According to student Mindele Grant: “We started planning chairs for relaxation and idleness, and above all, what it means as a state of mind.

“We were playing with the idea if, when relaxing, it is possible to clear one’s mind and reach nirvana.”

Some of the chairs feature hard backs to support a sitter’s posture and allow the mind to wander (Aalto University)

Featuring all different designs, each student was encouraged to focus on their “personal artistic expression” when creating their nirvana easy chair – as long as they were created using steel and aluminium sheet only.

For some, this meant designing rounded chairs which the sitter could sink into – a typical relaxation posture.

The colours are meant to provoke a sense of invitation (Aalto University)

But for others, invoking idleness meant creating rigid chairs that would support the sitter’s posture so that they were free to let their minds wander.

It looks like sitting in steel chairs is the key to reaching nirvana.