SAUVE

I was tasked to design a product for our chosen Chef, following their philosophy and ethos.

Thus, I designed a dining chair for Chef Alex Atala‘s restaurant. 

Chef Alex Atala is deeply rooted in his culture, but also forward-looking in designing his cuisines. 

Inspired by his concept of a harmonious balance between the classic and modern, I designed a dining chair that allows diners to sit with their legs crossed while dining. 

My design is engendered by the Brazilian Tribes. I studied the way the Brazilian tribes dine, their way of sitting, and finally decided on the cross-legged posture. 

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It is uncommon for diners to cross their legs in a restaurant- but this is exactly what I’m pushing for. Following what Chef Alex Atala would like his diners to experience when going to his restaurant- not to give his diners a safe experience, but to push them to the edge of flavours- I hope my chair can allow diners to have similar unique and eccentric experience.

My choice of material is rattan, with the intricate rattan weaving design for the backrest. This weaving pattern follows the Baniwa Tribe basket weaving patterns, and helps to raise awareness and appreciation for Brazilian culture. After researching, I decided the material for the seat to be cowhide, which is prominently used in Brazilian furniture. 

Considering D.O.M.’s interior when designing this dining chair, I researched that Chef Alex Atala hoped to reduce the number of seatings in his restaurant to reach an even higher degree of excellence. Thus my chair design (which would be slightly wider to accommodate diners to sit cross legged), would not be an issue when placed in his restaurant.