French company Dior’s Medallion chair is an iconic seat with a round or oval-shaped backrest. Recently, the company invited several designers from around the world to reinterpret its design for their presentation at Salone del Mobile 2021. From the 18 brilliant ideas, of particular significance is the nendo’s version made using two tempered glass sheets of 3mm thickness.
Nendo utilized a newly developed method that creates a deeper, C-shaped curve. The curved glass sheet became the chair’s leg and back, while a separate glass sheet of 3mm thick formed into a dome is used as the seat.
After shaping, the two pieces are immersed in potassium nitrate molten salt at 450℃ and then chemically hardened by cooling. This process increases the hardness of the surface and also the chair’s flexural strength and resistance to scratching.
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Finally, the back and seat were bonded with a clear UV adhesive and silicone. The outcome of nendo’s efforts is a comforting and unique fully transparent chair, which comes in black and pink ombré colors as well.
