Furniture of the future?  

I find it...
difficult to be overwhelmed because it is so close to the more fundamental work that Gilles Deleuze did in layered plywood back in 1995-96 (best known thanks to Bernard Cache's book on that research: "Terre meuble" ISBN 2-910385-06-X) Other pieces are quite basic improuvements on Marc Newton's work. I think it is great that someone extends, improves and refines Marc Newton's chairs because the basic idea is so promessing and M.N. never took the time or effort to let the original idea evolve into refined and "well designed" products Bengtsson fills that gap with talent and flair. Before I create angree reactions on my comments on M.N. I would like to ad that it is of course his full right to limit himself to excell in generating ideas, rather than refining them into good products. I am just pointing out that it opens opportunities for those who want to take up the thread and continue where he left off.
What also prevents me from being excited about it is this ungoing "rediscovering" of long known technology. The equipement he uses for winding carbon fibers might be the digital version and as such quite a recent version, but producing products by crosslinking epoxy or polyester impregnated strands of fibers is now almost half a century old. I know that there is (as you recently pointed out M_Andersen) an obvious lack of education in design history in design schools, but it makes me wonder how many times we will see history repeating itself because of this lack of knowledge of what has been done already. Let's wake up! Industrial production of this kind of winded impregnated fiber cones and reservoirs for airplanes, other aeronautical applications and other down to earth applications date back to the early sixties! So it is not good enough to re-discouver it and basically repeat experiments that were done at that time., and that one choses to ignore. Let's get on to the real thing and do it in such a way that it can be shared with all those who are tired (as I am) to look at these things in magazines, musea and galeries and just want to sit in it.
All in all I am still impressed enough to move it to the associated link box
http://www.bengtssondesign.com

something similar
in a book in a shop (don't know wich one because i didn't baught it) i came across someone who did something similar: he made some forms in the same 'layertechnique' in rapidprototyping material which he then used as a mould for modern ceramics (the rapid prototyping wax dissolved because of the heat in the baking proces). like koen said; benggston designs are nice but not that revolutionary; the guy with the ceramics was. (damn i should have bought the book!)

the comment above by Koen...
has to go into "The Best of Koen." 🙂 Talk about teeing it up and driving the green regarding materials!!! And of course the finisher with the link is quintessential. 😉
All that Koenic praise expressed, I must now also praise M_Andersen for starting this thread and for his calling attention to this new designer and his work. And for the link, although it should have been in the box. 🙂
I find myself agreeing with both of you.
MB has done some good work. And its not original in a materials sense. I will have to look up Gilles Deleuze later.
My thanks and compliments to M_Andersen and Koen for adding to and brightening my day.

Before we all get mixed up..
because my unfortunate way of using the cut&paste tool. I mentioned Gilles Deleuze, the french philosopher because the maker of the layered objects, Bernard Cache often referd to him in his publications. Deleuze calls Cache's work (and in general that kind of explorations) "Objectiles" (Industrially produced products that are not identical)In Bengtsson's case that aspect is not part of his research (reason for me to call it a more "in depth" study). Although I have never been a very enthusiastic reader of Deleuze, he explores that theme of "Objectiles" in an interesting way...and those who read french will certainly enjoy both his thoughts and the book about Bernard Cache's work (of which he is indeed the author.

sit
Has anyone actually sat/lounged on one of the chaises or chairs? Or am I just missing the point? I really detest the notion of furniture to just be "looked at" but maybe these are sinfully comfortable.
http://sanfrancisco.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/112106/house-tours/house-tou...

future furniture
speaking of furniture of the future has anyone made something recently that is comfortable AND uses a genuinely modern technology? Anyone make a chaise out of NASA memory foam? Or a "sleepnumber" sofa with user adjustable soft/firmness?
http://sanfrancisco.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/112106/house-tours/house-tou...

I don't know about you, but...
the science fiction loving side of me has always dreamed of a house full of mag-lev furniture every since I read about high-speed, low friction, magnetic levitation trains. I know it might not be very practical even if it could be done, but I have always dreamed of sitting at the dinner table, pushing back, and simply gliding across the floor into Frank Lloyd Wright living room with the marvelous fire place and reading a book, then pushing back again and gliding into my awesome bedroom suspended Fallingwater style over a running stream and rolling off into a big fluffy king size bed. What can I say? I grew up with the original Jetsons cartoons. For thousands of years people said human would never fly. Since the Jetsons cartoons those same persons have said people will never sit in chairs that go scooting around the house as if they were weightless. They were wrong about flight. Perhas they will be wrong about mag lev furniture, too.
Sigh.

their is
some dutch guy (Janjaap Ruisjenaars) who designed a maglev bed (he presented a prototype on the eccentric miljonair fair at knokke last summer). unfortunately the bed needs 4 little strings to keep in place...
http://blog.miragestudio7.com/2006/07/janjaap-ruijssenaars-floating-bed/

Oh, now that IS cool!!!!
Technological evolution continues! I hope the mag leve bed doesn't get selected out.

Oh, now that IS cool!!!!
Technological evolution continues! I hope the mag leve bed doesn't get selected out.