Architect Lina Bo Bardi designed the Frei Egídio chair in 1987 for the Theater Gregoria De Matos in Salvador, Brazil. The iconic chair was designed and produced specifically for a theater room that had no formal stage. The chair was designed to facilitate re-organizing seating as appropriate for each occasion. The theater space is primarily used for performance art and gallery display. The folding function of the chair allows them to be easily moved and efficiently stored.

 

The Frei Egídio chair was designed to be produced on an industrial scale. As a study of the chair, Nicole Channell and myself created a replica from milled white oak. To further study the process of its production and components, the chair was fabricated using fundamental woodworking and hand tools. The chair’s minimalism and function relies on concealed stainless steel bushings and threaded rod. In order to function in both its seating and stored position, the fabrication process requires precise dimensional tolerances to properly articulate. The intent of producing a replica of the chair was equal parts to develop the final product and to document the step-by-step manufacturing process.

 

The chair was completed in the Fall of 2018 in Newbern, AL at the Rural Studio