Reading Chair Colophon

jul 27 2009
Colophon for our Reading in Public Reading Chair!

Design: Chris Allen Woodworking
Fabrication: 

• 13 Ply Russian Birch supported by steel rods 
  
• Cherry stain 
  
• Ottoman is covered in lacquered book pages
  
• Handles of ottoman are a book cut lengthwise, with glued pages
  
• Roller blade wheels for mobility
  

Specifications:

• Event marker: The design needed to have a connection to reading. The lid opens to form a chair, and both seat and back rest gently curve at the hinge, which are all design elements drawn from the shape of a book. Chris Allen used laminated plywood, the striations of which are a reference to book pages. We installed the chair at Steynberg Gallery in San Luis Obispo before the event so the public could sit on it, and it is now on display at Cal Poly’s Kennedy Library
• Mobility: We needed to be able to wheel it around easily, but not have it move once it was set down. Chris placed 2 rollerblade wheels at the rear, and we pushed/pulled it by the open lid/chair back
• Size: It had to have a small footprint so as not to obstruct pedestrian traffic on city pavements as we wheeled it around
• Stability: Sturdy enough to not tip over if a kid climbed on it (they did, it didn’t move)
• Comfort: The gentle curvature of the seat and backrest makes it comfortable to sit on
• Storage: For any reading material our readers brought with them. The space under the seat works asa small bookcase. Chris Allen also made an ottoman which fits into that space, essentially a box with a lid, which functions as additional storage and seating (we used it for both, and we had all the readers sign the underside of the ottoman’s lid). Chris Allen sawed a book in half and used the halves as handles for the ottoman. The name of the book was “Hand Luggage” by John Bayley, on the recommendation of our book-loving friend, Karen Templer
• Ease of transport: The chair folds to a cube so we could lift it in and out of a car (the top edge of the lid is notched to prevent pinched fingers)

You can see photos of the chair here.