Berlin studio Läufer + Keichel has designed a lightweight chair for German manufacturer Schneiderschram based on the wooden crates used to transport fruit (+ slideshow).
The design duo Julia Läufer and Marcus Keichel reinterpreted the simplicity of the modest fruit crate to develop a solid ash chair using computer numerically controlled (CNC) milling technology.
Slats on the seat and back of the Satsuma chair are spaced to reflect the arrangement of planks that form wooden crates, typically used to ship different types of fruit from their origins to shops and supermarkets.
Triangular legs reduce the chair's weight to 3.5 kilograms, half that of traditional square frames used for seating.
Thin laminated wooden strips form the seat and backrest, with the latter slightly curved to maximise comfort.
"Satsuma has the charm of staying timeless while being very special in terms of the cuttingÂ-edge design, innovation and technology with which the chair is manufactured," said the designers.
"It is a modern industrial product that evokes memories of traditional handcrafted furniture."
The minimal design makes it suitable for home, public or business use, according to the designers.
Produced by Berlin company Schneiderschram, the seat comes in either a natural finish – to reference the satsuma tree that lends the chair its name – or lacquered in white, yellow, grey and black.
The Satsuma chair joins other sustainable seating such as Michael Young's chair made of made of recycled aluminium and DesignByThem's Butter stool made from recycled plastic.