Hubert: Talma, Cradle and Net

British designer Benjamin Hubert designs a furniture collection for Moroso: two chairs and a series of tables are the result of his studio's materials driven, process led industrial design approach.

During the 2013 edition of the Salone del Mobile, French designer Benjamin Hubert unveiled the results of his recent collaboration with Italian furniture manufacturer Moroso: the Talma and Cradle chairs, and the Net steel side table collection.

Named after a type of cloak, Talma is a compact lounge chair with a softly padded textile wrapped around a lightweight metal framework, mirroring the way a cloak would wrap the body. The chair has a CNC shaped steel framework with integrated upholstery straps for support. This framework is wrapped with a custom made textile with integrated padding — developed in collaboration with Innofa. The cover is secured with a series of zips and two fastenings at the front of the chair. This combination of metal frame and padded textile allows the chair to use a minimal amount of polyurethane foam, reducing the carbon footprint of the product.

Benjamin Hubert per Moroso — Top: Benjamin Hubert, *Talma* armchair, *Net* side table and *Cradle* chair for Moroso. Above: Benjamin Hubert, *Cradle* chair for Moroso

The Cradle lounge chair seeks to combine two typologies of seating — a net structured hammock and a conventional upholstered lounge chair. The chair aimes to have an architectura aesthetic, its sharp, rectilinear backrest contrasting with a softer seat. The chair makes use of a custom-made cut pattern that allows a non-elastic textile to stretch in a controlled manner in a three dimensional form. This allows for the correct tension to comfortably support the body and both visually and physically reduces the product’s weight and cost. The chair comprises a metal frame supporting a non-elastic textile with a geometric cut pattern, which cradles an upholstered seat block.

Finally, the Net side table collection utilises expanded steel, a material more commonly found on industrial equipment and architecture. Here, the steel has been manipulated to form cylinders and discs, which were then finished with powder coated paint. The tables are purposefully geometric and simple in their design language, featuring a large surface with expanded steel perforations that are small enough to not allow small objects to slip through.

Hubert: Talma, Cradle and Net

British designer Benjamin Hubert designs a furniture collection for Moroso: two chairs and a series of tables are the result of his studio's materials driven, process led industrial design approach.

Latest on Design

Latest on Domus