The Mold Objects

Concrete seating inspired by industrial construction techniques.

French designer Martin Laforet creates objects and furniture that explore the character of tactile materials and also reference different disciplines like architecture, sculpture, and industrial manufacturing. For his his first collection, the designer used concrete molds to create seating. The series references a common cast concrete method that uses molds to form, cure, and then produce various elements for a construction site. Here, the designer explored both the technical aspects of precast concrete blocks and the constraints of this specific method. Additionally, the mold becomes a part of the final objects and seating. The Mold Objects is available exclusively through the Carpenters Workshop Gallery, a gallery with locations in New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris.

The collection comprises chairs and a bench designed with an ambiguous look. All of the designs use a standardized core element that provided the foundation for each shape. “The interplay between the inverse mold and positive form lends a poetry to the industrial construction materials I use, which includes concrete, aluminum, wooden shuttering, and steel rebars,” says Martin Laforet. The sculptural forms look like artistic creations that double as functional objects. At the same time, they resemble found items collected from an industrial building site. Boasting rugged, textured, or smooth surfaces, the chairs also feature simple gray or pigmented concrete. Each sculpture is one of a kind as the casting technique creates imperfections across the surface. Carpenters Workshop Gallery currently represents the designer, with prices for this collection available upon request. Photography © Carpenters Workshop Gallery.