SHIGERU BAN
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban is known for his innovative use of materials, especially in using recycled cardboard tubes to create strong, lightweight designs. His projects include spectacular architectural builds, but he’s also known for designs to provide temporary housing for disaster relief, including recently for Ukrainian refugees.
‘The Carta Collection is made from thin, waterproof and durable cardboard tubes and a simple birch plywood frame,’ explains Anna Trubrig from Stillfried Wien, a New Yorkbased retailer of Shigeru Ban’s furniture. ‘Shigeru first began to use the tubes in the 1980s in exhibitions to make the most out of a low budget and was impressed by the material’s load-bearing capacity.’
To ensure the furniture’s durability, the cardboard tubes are treated with urethane resin to make them impervious to liquids. Manufactured in Italy, the designs use a clever technique to fix the tubes to the birch plywood frames of the seats – all without using metal and with only a few invisible screws. ‘The resulting furniture is rather light but sturdy,’ says Anna. ‘Shigeru Ban wants beauty to be accessible for the masses.’