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Thalia

Thalia is a theatre award rewarding remarkable work of young up-and-coming actors and actresses across several genres or categories. The design is inspired by the dynamics of stage performances, by the spontaneous energy of motion.

Chabera – Thalia award design

Curves of motion

The concept here is to express the dynamic energy of stage performances and create an abstract object that captures the composition and flow that the stage genres work with. The motion of bending thin plywood is captured by joining together pairs of different strips of plywood and locking them together at a particular curvature.

Chabera – Thalia award design

Plywood featherweight

The object is unusually light for an award and almost feels like floating fabric in hand being made from 1.5 mm thin beech plywood. In principle it is very similar to my design of Chair 01 as it is designed by the flex energy of a bent piece of highly elastic material.

Chabera – Thalia award design
Chabera – Thalia award design
Chabera – Thalia award design

The design process

This is a type of object that I enjoy the most – it is designed using the material it is made of. The curves and overall silhouette were never sketched, instead they were created using paper and plywood. Over several iterations the overall looks was discovered and all the curvatures are just the product of fixing the flexible thin surfaces in repeating radial relationships. Interestingly it is also a design that produces no waste as all the rectangular components were produced by splitting a single standard plywood sheet.

Chabera – Thalia award design – process
Chabera – Thalia award design – process
Chabera – Thalia award design – process

Project info

Products & Objects

Client

Nový Balanc z.s.

Creative direction, design, ideation, prototyping

Matej Chabera

Production

Chabera Studio in collaboration with technological companies and craftsmen,
produced in London

Production run

4 units

Photography

Chabera studio

Year

2015