The Award-Winning Karbon Chair

An innovative carbon fiber chair that rewrites the rules of furniture design.

Avant-garde and sculptural, the new Karbon chair has an innovative design that blends artisan skill and cutting-edge technology. Designed by Javier Cuñado of ITEMDesignworks for furniture brand Actiu, this award-winning chair looks like futuristic seating. No wonder, considering that it features a state-of-the-art carbon fiber build. Following two years of research, Actiu launched Kabron this year. It promptly received one of the most prestigious awards in the world, a Red Dot Product Design Award. Looking like a piece of industrial art, this carbon fiber chair marks a creative step forward in furniture design.

The groundbreaking build features a material usually used in the aerospace industry and more recently in bike manufacturing. Consequently, the distinctive features of carbon fiber challenged the designer and Actiu to find new ways to make the most of the material. Each carbon fiber chair undergoes a lengthy manufacturing process that blends advanced technologies and handcrafting techniques to create the six separate parts. Lasting 45 day, this process involves the layering of carbon fiber and resin before heating the composite material in a closed steel mold. The empty components make Karbon ultra-lightweight as well as tough and durable.

Sleek and stylish, the chair has a polished surface that feels surprisingly warm to the touch. The glossy finish also ensures that the Karbon chair captures the light to create an eye-catching visual effect which changes depending on the user’s position and viewing angle. An ergonomic silhouette enhances comfort and makes the carbon fiber chair as enjoyable to use as it is to admire. Available numbered in a limited-edition, the Karbon chair becomes a veritable collector’s item for design lovers. Photographs© Actiu.