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Among the many pleasures of culinary delights, one food item, arguably, holds an extra special place in our hearts: cheese. Whether joyously bubbling in a communal dip, meekly gracing the Canadian poutine, or heartily filling the boat-shaped khachapuri in Georgia, this cherished cheese finds its way onto menus worldwide, perhaps unbeknownst, yet surely and delightfully, transcending cultural and ethnic boundaries. It truly is a unifying delectable.
Drawing inspiration from this unabashed, unashamed love for cheese, international design brand Normann Copenhagen has introduced a scrumptiously rounded collection of chair designs fittingly named Burra, nodding to the Italian cheese known as Burrata. Crafted by Danish designer Simon Legald, the Burra furniture collection, "as implied by its name... is a study in softness," relays the Danish brand.
Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, and established in 1999 by Jan Andersen and Poul Madsen, Normann Copenhagen is known for injecting craftsmanship, functionality, and durability inherent within Danish design heritage into their creations. Their constantly expanding collections, encompassing furniture designs, lighting designs, as well as home accessories, are characterised by clean lines infused with a playful touch, all crafted with a focus on quality and endurance. Since his graduation from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2012, Legald has partnered with the Danish design firm, producing a diverse range of furniture and homeware, from terrazzo-topped tables to wine accessories, cabinets with intricately perforated doors, and a set of stackable melamine trays.
Normann Copenhagen's Burra collection consists of dining and lounge chairs that expose an interplay of focused practicality and minimal aesthetics. The Danish product designer emphasises, "When designing any chair, it is important to consider comfort and dimensions. I wanted to create a design that featured an interesting interplay between these two factors using simple, minimalistic lines."
Burra draws inspiration from the gentle and rounded qualities of Burrata, an Italian cheese known for its creamy core encased in a soft outer shell. The collection, aptly named Burra, is a shortened form of Burrata, and explores these same characteristics. Its most distinguishing features are the rounded seat and gracefully curved backrest that seamlessly transforms into armrests, making a bold visual statement within the lounge and dining chairs. The Burra dining chair boasts a slightly reclined backrest, ideal for leisurely hours. Crafted from moulded veneer and enhanced with PU foam for added softness, this fully upholstered chair ensures maximum comfort. The backrest is gently angled to provide optimal support and a cosy seating experience.
The Burra lounge chair features a swivel base and offers an optional return function, granting freedom of movement as well as mobility. The chairs are meticulously crafted to maximise comfort using a steel reinforcement structure that lends stability and strength. Simultaneously, a combination of elastic bands, firm moulded foam, and soft moulded foam ensures a comfortable seating experience. The product design's organic lines melt akin to how burrata does, resulting in two striking sculptural chairs that infuse artistic flair into any interior setting. According to Legald, the creationary process involved initial stages of straightforward sketching, followed by handcrafting an early 1:1 scale prototype using styrofoam. This prototype was later precision-machined using CNC milling in Cibatool—a polyurethane-based material for model and tool making, manufacturing fixtures, and test units.
"The biggest challenge was to align the mix of dense and firm visual expression while maintaining a soft and comfortable seating, so most of the challenges are within the structure and construction," the furniture designer states. The comfort offered by the chair designs results from the selection of high-quality materials chosen for their durability. Additional foam has been thoughtfully incorporated into both variations to achieve the perfect level of plushness.
The Burra collection is a testament to Legald's appreciation for classic Danish furniture and craftsmanship, transforming the furniture pieces into muted yet sculptural masterpieces, capable of commanding attention within any interior space. His partnership with Normann Copenhagen for the same reaffirms their dedication to preserving Danish traditions and creating objects suffused with minimalism, and rooted in the Scandinavian design principles of 'less is more.'
(Text by Irene Joseph Chiramel, intern at STIR)
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