Designed by Patrick Jouin (French, born 1967), Manufactured by Materialise NV, Leuven, Belgium, 2004, Epoxy resin, Museum purchase from the Members’ Acquisitions Fund of Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, 2009-8-1, Photo: Matt Flynn

 

As part of Cooper-Hewitt’s efforts to explore and document outstanding examples of innovative design, the Museum has begun to collect objects produced by rapid prototyping and manufacturing technology. This computerized production method is rapidly evolving with each advance in digital technology, and makes it possible to produce even a centuries-old object like the chair in new and refreshing forms. We want to show the techniques, materials, and object types that this method is making available.

 

The Solid C2 chair, by Patrick Jouin, is a highlight among the Museum’s growing group of digitally designed and produced works. We are deeply grateful to our members for making this acquisition possible.

 

The chair was manufactured by a process called stereolithography, a kind of 3-D printing in which a computer-controlled laser heats and solidifies a photosensitive epoxy resin upon contact. This process builds up a form, layer by minuscule layer, to create a single complete object. This method differs greatly from traditional handcrafting or conventional mass-production methods such as assembly, carving, and molding.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *