STRAP FURNITURE, PROTOTYPES
Strap Furniture resulted from experimentation with discarded packaging materials. Industrial polypropylene strapping tape (commonly used for securing the cartons) is designed to withstand the weight of at least 300 lb, which seemed perfect for a sitting surface. The tape came from industrial catalogues, along with odd-looking special tools for tensioning, sealing, and cutting.
In the final designs, the web of strapping tape was stretched on a wooden framework, reminiscent of an archetypal American easy chair and bench. The result presents an alternative to traditional upholstery: lightweight, three-dimensional, and seemingly very complex – even though it was fairly straightforward to make. Steven Skov Holt described it poetically as “cushions of air encased in a network of lines”. In 2000, Strap Furniture was featured at the first National Design Triennial in New York.
