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Beetle Dining Chair in 3D Veneer Walnut Shell upholstered in GUBI Soft Leather Army
In 2013, GUBI and GamFratesi introduced the Beetle Chair
to the world, and a modern classic was born. Now, a decade
later, the studio has reimagined their landmark design concept
in 3D veneer – giving the Beetle a bold new natural expression
and further emphasizing its status as an archetypal design,
open to interpretation in any number of materials.
The veneer edition takes the organic, nature-inspired form
of the original Beetle shell, and adapts it to accommodate
the realities of working with veneer. The result translates the
Beetle’s distinctive curves into a molded wooden shell, giving
the chair a new material aesthetic without compromising the
comfort for which it has become renowned, and expanding the
design’s relevance to even more interior settings.
The shell of this new iteration comprises two separate pieces.
The backrest and seat are connected by internal spring-
steel brackets that are invisible from the outside. Each piece
is 3D-molded using a bending press – a method of shaping
veneer pioneered by mid-century designers.
3D technology enables designers to produce organic shapes
that were once impossible to create. This molding technique
is uniquely able to create the Beetle’s distinct curvature
using veneer, while maximizing its comfort and flexibility. This
required an extensive process of experimentation to perfect.
Transforming the veneer from flat surface to three-dimensional
form also introduces depth and texture to the material,
emphasizing the vertical grain and color of the wood, and
giving the chair a premium appearance and a natural character.
Despite the Beetle’s transition to a new material, GamFratesi’s
original inspiration – and the design’s namesake – is still
evident in the veneer edition’s form, perhaps even more so.
The sinuous seat and back are visual echoes of the segmented
parts of a beetle’s body; the hard outer shell mirrors the insect’s
protective exoskeleton; and the upholstered seat and backrest
reference the soft body inside. The addition of wood veneer
only emphasizes the design's connection to the natural world
and the forms of nature that inspired it.
The Beetle has always involved a high degree of skill to
produce, but with the veneer edition, GamFratesi has
introduced an even greater level of craft. The meeting point
of the two shells, as well as the junction between the wood
and the upholstery, underline the craftsmanship that has gone
into the chair, as well as emphasizing its precise detailing and
graceful form. The thickness of the shell varies: wider at the
points of connection, to allow for greater strength, but thinner
at the edges to preserve the iconic silhouette.
Light and dark wood veneers are available: oak and American
walnut. Together with the wide range of upholstery options,
this means the chair can be matched with interiors of any
style or color palette, and to be deployed equally effectively
in the home or in hospitality settings, where it makes a striking
and peerlessly comfortable seat. As with the existing Beetle
Collection, these new veneered editions are configurable as
dining, bar, counter, and meeting chairs.
