Designer Minimizes Steel Waste by transforming it into Sculptural Chairs | Flow

FDT Bureau

In Milan, Japanese designer Daisuke Yamamoto showcased an innovative exhibition, featuring recycled steel chairs on podiums made from the same material. His Flow project concentrated on minimizing industrial waste by focusing on light-gauge steel (LGS), a commonly used yet largely discarded framing option in construction. Know more about it on FURNITURE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (FDT).

Recognizing the significant waste generated by LGS, which is often overlooked for recycling post-demolition, Yamamoto embarked on the task of repurposing this material into a series of sculptural chairs. The chairs were presented on LGS platforms, forming part of Milan Design Week 2023. Yamamoto’s transformation of LGS, a staple in interior wall structures, into aesthetically redesigned furniture aligned with his commitment to offering discarded construction materials a second chance.

The exhibition, held within the Magazzini Raccordati spaces at Milan Central Station, utilized the existing industrial aesthetic of the railway arches. Yamamoto chose to maintain the arches’ weathered appearance while introducing platforms to present the chairs in two rows. Track lighting highlighted the distinct shapes of each elevated design, complementing the slightly different contours of the chairs. The central workshop bench, crafted from lightweight gauge steel, served as a live demonstration site for chair fabrication, involving collaborative efforts between Yamamoto and craft artist Takeo Masui. The project’s symbolic location within a landfill setting thus emphasized its core message — a collaborative effort to transform collected used LGS into new creations.

Image credit: Takumi Ota