The Carvel Chair by Andrew Clancy

The Strand Lamps by Clancy Moore are definitely in our top five favourite products. Clancy Moore is an Architectural firm based in Dublin which was set up by Andrew Clancy and Colm Moore, if you are interested in seeing the work they get up too and trust us it is well worth a look, then read our short journal post or head straight to their website. We finally met Andrew Clancy in the room dedicated to Irish Design and Craft last year at Tent, London during Design week and it was great to chat to him about the Strand Lamps. He also told us about another product related project he had in the pipeline and this year we were able to see the finished design.The Carvel Chair is beautiful, made from wind-felled larch using traditional boat building techniques, the shape is simple but incredibly strong. "I've always been fascinated by the techniques of boat building. There is an economy of material linked to geometry which makes these simple forms able to withstand the constant movement of the water around the hull. The design of this chair is the result of many conversations with a great boat builder about how this process works. It was in thinking about his observations we realized that much of what he was describing would have applications to other areas." Andrew Clancy. European Larch is a timber that was used predominantly in traditional boat building but due to Larch not being fast growing it has now largely been replaced. The chair is described as being "active" as the wood frame moves with the sitters own movements, this is due to the fact that the timber is not kiln dried but instead air seasoned for 2 years, meaning the wood will react to its own environment, in humid environments the wood seat will close tight, whereas in drier environments you are likely to see small gaps open between the planks. In designing the Carvel chair Andrew Clancy hopes to keep some of these traditional boat building skills alive, skills which have for many years been so important on the West Coast of Ireland but which are sadly nowadays being lost. What we love about both the Strand Lamp and the Carvel Chair is not just that these designs are beautiful and they are certainly that but that there is a deeper concern with the design and craft of these products which includes the preservation of skills that are being lost and that are too readily overlooked. We can't wait to see what comes next...   Images from Film Carvel Chair Designer Andrew Clancy (deanta.eu) Carvel Chair Maker Matthew O'Malley (deanta.eu) Film Alice Clancy (aliceclancy.com) Music Aoife Nic Cormaic (aoifeniccormaic.ie) 'The Sperrin Waltz' from her album 'Cuas na bh Fáinleog' Graphic Design Scott Burnett (studioaad.com)

---

Next →

← Previous