3. Meghan Ho-Tong and Jaekan Coetzee collaborated on the an exploration of Hyraxhotong Chair One, geometry and imagination

The collab between architect and designer Meghan Ho-Tong and local artisan Jaekan Coetzee to produce the Hyraxhotong Chair One is an exploration in geometry and imagination.

Looking at the Hyraxhotong Chair One elicits an immediate sense of intrigue. “I really enjoy that this creates an interesting visual tension,” says Cape Town-based architect and designer Meghan Ho-Tong. “When viewed from a particular angle, it feels as if the chair might fall over, but as you move around it, you begin to understand that the geometries are balanced and support each other.” Together with Jaekan, Meghan designed the stool with a strong circular form and a contrasting triangular base structure.

“Jaekan is a master woodworker with a lot of knowledge in timber construction, materiality and the ways that wood behaves,” elaborates Meghan. “I came to him with an idea and sketches for the chair. From there we started prototyping. We built a 1:1 scale model and made assessments and adjustments as we developed the design.” The chair’s construction

employs interlocking timber joints and the design is void of any glue or mechanical fixings. “It is built from solid yellowwood. Every piece that gets used is carefully selected taking into consideration its character and markings.” hyraxhotong.com

Dimensions 420 mm (height) x 300 mm (diameter) x 21 mm (timber thickness) Material Yellowwood Cost R3 000 per unit