How can our relationship with objects create real-life relationships between people?

The Stretch Lounge explores how furniture can playfully facilitate connection, conversation, and relationships between strangers. The double seater uses a single piece of engineered knit fabric that spans two seats designed in the form of a traditional kissing bench. It is impossible to ignore the person sitting next to you in this chair– the fabric flexes as one of the sitters moves so both parties feel a slight ripple of movement. Conversation is encouraged as elbows bump and the other sitter’s movement catches the eye.

In addition to fostering interaction between sitters, the Stretch Lounge also catches the attention of passers-by. The knit fabric is constructed with a double tubular structure that physically stretches and reveals a hidden color when sat upon. The chair responds in an unexpected way by revealing this hidden color and encourages the walker to play with the chair themselves while chatting with the person who is already sitting in the chair.

Work exhibited at XXI Triennale International Exhibition Milan: “21st Century. Design After Design” and International Contemporary Furniture Fair in NYC, 2016