British designer Thomas Heatherwick recently launched a chair shaped like a spinning top made of spun steel and copper.

The limited-edition Spun chair, produced for London gallery Haunch of Venison, is similar in form to Heatherwick's rotation-moulded plastic chair for Magis that was launched in Milan last month.

Studio photos are by Peter Mallett. Production photos are by John Hughes / CPP.

Heatherwick also designed the UK Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010, which opened on Saturday.

Here's some info from Heatherwick Studio:

Spun

Spun came out of research into the geometric simplification of a familiar object type. Could a completely rotationally symmetrical form make a comfortable chair?

Developed through full size test pieces an ergonomic was established where seat, back and arms were all the same profile. The result is not immediately apparent as a chair and when upright looks more like a sculptural vessel. However, when lent on its side it forms a comfortable and functional chair that the sitter can rock from side to side in, or even spin round in a complete circle.

In October 2009 the studio produced a series of pieces using the craft of large scale metal spinning, traditionally used to make objects such as Timpani drums. The chairs are handmade by pressing sheets of metal against a rotating cast iron form using a paddle. Each chair is assembled from six metal spinnings, welded together and polished to produce a single unified form with a leather trim inlaid into the weight bearing rim.

A limited edition of metal Spun chairs is available through Haunch of Venison.

Client:
 Haunch of Venison
Dimensions: 
d88 x h65 cm
Materials:
 Brushed/Polished steel/copper
Date: 
2010

See also:

.

Spun Seat by Thomas Heatherwick for Magis	UK Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010	More furniture