How plywood was refashioned for a new era
As the layered wood takes centre stage at the V&A, Talib Choudhry discovers it’s now the material of the moment
Following in the glamorous footsteps of David Bowie and Alexander Mcqueen, plywood seems an unlikely candidate for the V&A’S headline summer exhibition. While it doesn’t scream “blockbuster”, Plywood: Material of the Modern World may well be a sleeper hit – much like the underappreciated stuff itself.
The thought-provoking – and surprisingly fun – exhibition explores the humble material’s global impact from the 1850s to the present day. From the fastest and highest-flying aeroplane of the Second World War, the de Havilland Mosquito, to a downloadable self-assembly house, more than 120 groundbreaking designs have been brought together to illustrate how plywood has transformed the world we live in.
“It’s such a common, everyday material that most people barely notice it. One could say that it has been hidden in plain sight,” says Christopher Wilk, the exhibition’s co-curator. “Since Victorian times, it has been one of the most popular and versatile materials used in manufacturing, and by designers and architects. It’s more popular than ever.”
Fragments of layered wood have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, but it was the advent of mass production in the 19th century that saw plywood’s potential fully exploited. Exhibition highlights include a plywood-bound book printed in 1908 during Ernest Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition to Antarctica and a 1917 moulded canoe. Later examples of transport design get the pulse racing: a 1960s British racing car with a plywood chassis, and some of the first surf- and skateboards.
Flexible yet incredibly strong, plywood is made by peeling the trunks of fast-growing trees into veneers and bonding layers to form a panel. When steamed, curved and moulded, plywood can be manipulated into curvaceous architectural forms.
Plywood’s reputation has undergone a dramatic transformation, too: initially viewed as a cheap substitute for solid timber, it became a material prized by mid-century designers. The advent of moulding techniques inspired the forms of 1930s modernism and led to pieces by designers such as Alvar Aalto (in Finland), Robin Day (in the UK) and Charles and Ray Eames (in the US). Plywood’s eco-friendly credentials and suitability for digital cutting means it is also the material of the moment.
“Plywood has changed furniture design immeasurably through the 20th century,” says Ruth Wassermann, head of design at Made.com. “It is integral to the soft wooden curves of Nordic design and, with current conversations around provenance of materials and sustainability, it has really come into its own.”
In the V&A’S swish new gift shop, Made.com has launched a collection inspired by the exhibition, comprising pen pots, photo frames, a clock, coat hanger, mirror and memo board.
The plywood furniture from British design brand By Alex stylishly combines sustainability with covetable design. Driven by a conviction that designers should use resources wisely, company founder Alex Swain uses cutting-edge technology to reduce waste as much as possible. Better still, the simple designs are affordable. “Back in 2010, I lived in a small London flat and couldn’t afford expensive furniture,” Swain explains. “My only option was Ikea, but I didn’t like the idea of buying furniture made from chipboard and wrapped in a plastic coating. I believe in using quality materials as you tend to respect the product and therefore keep it for longer; sustainability is as much about buying less as it is about buying better.”
All the products – the range includes a table, a coat rack and a desk – are made in Swain’s Surrey workshop using timber sourced from responsibly managed Nordic forests.
While Swain’s products start at a pocket-friendly £79, clients spend a minimum of £8,000 on the hardwood-veneered ply kitchens by Uncommon Projects. Style-conscious homemakers are eschewing solid wood cabinets in favour of plywood cupboards and open shelving with playful, colourful inserts.
Founded in 2011 by the architect Alan Drumm and James Hoy, a product designer in the toy industry, the Uncommon Projects team has grown rapidly to cope with demand and commissions often come via Instagram and Pinterest. Despite the price tag, the duo claim that they are among the best-value bespoke kitchens you can buy.
In 2001, Olivier Geoffroy launched Unto This Last, which he describes as “a contemporary workshop in London that makes furniture using digitally controlled cutting tools”. Birch plywood is the base of all Geoffroy’s clean, contemporary designs (from beds to coffee tables to light fittings), and almost every square centimetre of a standard two-metre plywood board is used. Candlesticks, utensils or toys are made from small areas, the rest used for heating or recycled.
The local, made-to-order production process means there is no overproduction, warehousing or packaging costs; everything is delivered wrapped in blankets in an electric van in the London area. “When your clients are local, you take great pride in the quality of your work and care over your choice of materials,” says Geoffroy.
Similarly, Swain hopes to encourage other companies to create ply products that are made to last. “We are often dismissive about ‘new’ materials and processes because of our rich history,” he says.
“Plywood can be used to create beautiful furniture, cabinets, kitchens, even complete houses. It is time to change our preconceptions. It’s the material of the future.”
‘It is integral to the soft wooden curves of Nordic design’