The Around the Corner West: Bench by Amanda Levete Architects is simply elegant. Constructed of wood which is first layered and then shaped, its form seems to defy gravity. This is achieved through a hidden fixing point located on the backside which secures into the wall. The eye continuously moves across the fluid form, which is reminiscent of the iconic infinity symbol.
Amanda Levete Architects have in the past used furniture to experiment with architectural ideas and concepts. The lines of this bench can be seen, somewhat abstracted in the Central Embassy, currently in process by the office in Bangkok, Thailand.
Courtesy of Amanda Levete Architects
One question that comes to mind, having worked with stacked wood before, is the structural soundness of such a form executed solely in wood. It is possible that moment and sheer forces acting on joints which are simply glued or fixed locally would become too great when the bench is fully loaded. To this end, it seems a real possibility, though one which I am not sure of how it would be done, that some sort of continuous structure, perhaps of steel bar, is hidden within the form.
By: Matt Davis
Courtesy of Amanda Levete Architects
