ᱵᱤᱥᱚᱭ ᱨᱮ ᱪᱟᱞᱟᱜ ᱢᱮ
John G Williams ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ Zene Primary Function: ᱡᱚᱢ ᱧᱩ ᱠᱩᱨᱥᱤ

John G Williams ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ Zene Primary Function: ᱡᱚᱢ ᱧᱩ ᱠᱩᱨᱥᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱯᱷᱟᱨᱱᱤᱪᱟᱨ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱯᱨᱚᱛᱤᱡᱚᱜᱤᱛᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ 2018 A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱟᱹᱰᱤ ᱢᱟᱱ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾


ᱞᱚᱦᱟᱯᱷᱟᱨᱱᱤᱪᱟᱨ· 2018

Zene Primary Function: ᱡᱚᱢ ᱧᱩ ᱠᱩᱨᱥᱤ

John G Williams ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ

ᱜᱟᱦᱟᱠ: John G Williams

ᱯᱷᱟᱨᱱᱤᱪᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ

12,796

ᱡᱟᱸᱪ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱮᱣᱟᱨᱰ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ

#58495 ᱞᱟᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱣᱟᱨᱰ ᱦᱟᱞᱚᱛ ᱡᱟᱸᱪ

ᱨᱚᱝ

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ

Zene Primary Function: ᱡᱚᱢ ᱧᱩ ᱠᱩᱨᱥᱤ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ

Book Text: ᱡᱮᱱᱮ ᱡᱚᱢ ᱧᱩ ᱠᱩᱨᱥᱤ ᱟᱡ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱦᱩᱭ ᱠᱟᱛᱮᱛ ᱫᱤᱥᱚᱢᱨᱮᱱ ᱫᱟᱨᱮ ᱟᱨ ᱰᱮᱱᱤᱥ ᱢᱚᱰᱚᱨᱱ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱮᱢᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱾ ᱦᱟᱞᱠᱟ ᱟᱥ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱯᱷᱨᱮᱢᱠᱚ ᱟᱞᱜᱟᱝ ᱟᱨ ᱢᱟᱡᱚᱝ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱫᱟᱨᱮ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱫᱩᱨᱩᱡ ᱚᱠᱛᱮ ᱟᱨ ᱛᱟᱭᱚᱢ ᱰᱮᱠ ᱠᱚ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱯᱷᱨᱮᱢ ᱨᱮ ᱛᱟᱡᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱮᱠᱟ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱩᱨᱩᱡᱚᱜ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱾ ᱫᱩᱨᱩᱡ ᱚᱠᱛᱮ/ᱛᱟᱭᱚᱢ ᱰᱮᱠ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱠᱚᱸᱰᱟ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱟᱦᱟᱱ ᱫᱚᱨ ᱠᱟᱛᱮᱛ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱢᱮᱱᱠᱷᱟᱱ ᱟᱡ ᱰᱩᱲᱩᱵ ᱦᱟᱨᱰᱩᱰ ᱫᱟᱨᱮ ᱢᱮᱥᱟᱭ ᱟᱨ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱛᱮᱛ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱾ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱥᱤᱨᱤᱡ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱦᱟᱞᱠᱟ ᱟᱥ ᱯᱷᱨᱮᱢ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫᱛᱟᱸ ᱚᱠᱛᱮ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱨᱩᱡ ᱚᱠᱛᱮ/ᱛᱟᱭᱚᱢ ᱰᱮᱠ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱵᱟᱪᱷᱟᱣ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱮᱛᱚᱦᱚᱵ ᱫᱚᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱩᱪᱤ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱢᱚᱛᱚᱞᱚᱵ ᱵᱮᱱᱟᱣ ᱠᱚᱣᱟᱜ ᱾

ᱢᱟᱱᱟᱱ

A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ

Zene Primary Function: ᱡᱚᱢ ᱧᱩ ᱠᱩᱨᱥᱤ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Zene Primary Function: ᱡᱚᱢ ᱧᱩ ᱠᱩᱨᱥᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱯᱤᱪᱷᱟ ᱨᱮ

ᱯᱨᱮᱥ ᱠᱤᱴ

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱠᱨᱮᱰᱤᱴ, ᱴᱤᱢ ᱥᱫᱚᱥᱭ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱤᱠᱮᱞ ᱵᱤᱵᱚᱨᱚᱬ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱟᱞᱜᱟ ᱜᱩᱱ ᱠᱚ
This series of dining chairs have American ash frames and showcase different hardwood timbers for the seat/backrest combinations.

The chairs draw on the ancient art of 'coopering' or how oak barrels are made for fermentation purposes. The curved forms of the seat/backrest are not formed by bending but rather by joining and shaping solid hardwood timber.

The chair strives to be very strong and beautiful. In short: Zene -
elegant, comfortable and dependable.
ᱢᱟᱯ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱮᱠᱮᱡᱤᱝ
515mm wide x 570mm deep x 890mm high
seat: 515mm wide x 390mm deep
back:515mm wide x 200mm high
ᱴᱮᱜ ᱠᱚ
zene, dining chair, south africa, hardwood, curved, cooper, danish modern, minimalist
ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱛᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ
The Zene design evolved over a number of years. The starting point was probably a fascination with the art of coopering and how this has been applied to furniture design. Building the segmented seat and backrests took some practice to perfect, as did the development of custom modifications to standard workshop tools to shape and finish the smoothly shaped forms.
ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱪᱮᱞᱮᱧ
Building the coopered seat/backrests was challenging as it required careful attention to the compression forces on the material and how best to achieve high compression without causing the seats to 'implode'.
Shaping the rough seats into finely finished and smooth curves required considerable re-working of the custom tooling to achieve the desired results
ᱜᱚᱵᱮᱥᱚᱱᱟ
Danish modern designs were studied and absorbed to consider different ways of rendering the frame, and its relationship to the seat, and to think through the spatial relationship of the seat to the backrest.
Web search was used to think about typical dimensions for the seat but in the end prototyping proved most fun.
ᱯᱨᱮᱨᱚᱱᱟ
The beauty grain and colour of indigenous African timber was a key aesthetic inspiration for this project. The more technical inspiration for the overall work, including the frame design came from iconic designers such as Hans J Wegner (for example the CH20 Elbow Chair). The coopering technique was inspired by Ontario furniture designer Adrian Ferrazzutti.
ᱯᱨᱚᱡᱮᱠᱴ ᱥᱚᱢᱚᱭ
The first prototype was conceived in Johannesburg in 2007. It was slowly refined as background task over 10 years, and the first set of 6 chairs was produced in 2017
ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱦᱚᱨ
Zene is designed mainly for use at the dining table and is designed for extended dining comfort.
ᱯᱮᱴᱮᱱᱴ ᱠᱚ
no patents pending
ᱴᱤᱢ ᱥᱮᱫᱟᱭ ᱠᱚ
John G Williams: designer, craftsman
ᱪᱤᱛᱟᱹᱨ ᱥᱟᱹᱦᱟ
all images by the designer: John G Williams

ᱥᱯᱚᱱᱥᱚᱨᱰ

Designers.org ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱯᱟᱨᱚᱢ ᱛᱟᱞᱟᱥ

ᱟᱞᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱤᱜᱽᱭᱟᱯᱚᱱ ᱥᱟᱹᱜᱟᱹᱭ ᱠᱚ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱯᱨᱚᱰᱟᱠᱴ, ᱥᱮᱵᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱢᱚᱠᱟ ᱩᱫᱩᱜ ᱢᱮ᱾

ᱟᱨᱦᱚᱸ ᱠᱷᱚᱡ ᱢᱮ

ᱥᱟᱹᱜᱟᱹᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ

ᱢᱤᱫ ᱞᱮᱠᱟ ᱠᱮᱴᱮᱜᱚᱨᱤ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱟᱨᱦᱚᱸ ᱯᱩᱨᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱢᱮ, ᱡᱚᱜᱭᱟᱛᱟ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱟᱪᱷᱟᱣ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱵᱷᱟᱞ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱢᱟᱨᱟᱝ ᱪᱤᱱᱦᱟᱹ ᱦᱟᱛᱟᱣ ᱞᱟᱹᱠᱛᱤᱭᱟᱜᱼᱟ

A' ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱮᱣᱟᱨᱰ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱟᱞ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱞᱟᱜᱤᱫ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱟᱱᱛᱚᱨᱡᱟᱛᱤᱭ, ᱡᱩᱨᱤ ᱵᱤᱪᱟᱨ ᱠᱟᱱ ᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ A' ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱮᱣᱟᱨᱰ ᱨᱮ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱞᱮ ᱟᱢᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱞᱟᱜᱤᱫ ᱡᱚᱜᱽᱭᱟᱛᱟ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱪᱤᱱᱦᱟᱹ, ᱱᱟᱢ, ᱢᱟᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱨᱪᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱞᱟᱜᱤᱫ᱾ ᱟᱢᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ A' ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱮᱣᱟᱨᱰ ᱞᱟᱜᱤᱫ ᱱᱚᱢᱤᱱᱮᱴ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱢᱟᱱ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ A' ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱯᱩᱨᱟᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱞᱟᱜᱤᱫ ᱯᱨᱚᱛᱤᱡᱚᱜᱤᱛᱟ ᱢᱮ᱾

ᱱᱚᱢᱤᱱᱮᱴ