Thin stainless steel frames are repeatedly used in TXTR furniture, so since when did this design begin?
Looking through the furniture, the fact that particularly thin, neat metal frames are commonly used stands out. I am curious how this form connects to the brand's beginning.
It is a signature design that has continued unchanged since the starting point of opening its first space in Seongsu-dong and unveiling Ch1, the brand's first original chair.
In TXTR furniture, stainless steel is always used for the legs stepping on the floor or the framework supporting the tabletop. This thin, smoothly extending metal frame is a unique design maintained unchanged since the very first moment the brand started[1].
The first step was Seongsu-dong[2]. Director Ki Young-seok, who completed a master's degree in architecture at Aalto University in Finland, started the brand by opening 'TXTR Seongsu', a small showroom and cafe near Seoul Forest[3][4][5]. Based on his architectural background, he expressed an architect's perspective and formative language when designing furniture as well[6][7].
The first original piece of furniture introduced in that process was the 'Ch1' chair[8]. Ch1 is a chair that meshes solid stainless steel legs with a birch wood seat and backrest[9]. The method of removing superfluous decorations and erecting the structure with thin metal members was inspired by the legacy of modern architecture masters such as Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Alvar Aalto[10].
Stainless steel is a material that resists rust and stably bears loads even with a thin thickness. hmmm, this thin frame repeated across every piece of furniture is closer to the result of a continuous attempt to incorporate the upright proportions and structure of architecture into even a single small chair, rather than a mere choice of material.
The specific surface finish method or alloy specifications of the stainless steel frame have not yet been confirmed in official materials.