The HYDRO Chair was launched by Tom Dixon Studio. The chair is the result of close collaboration between British designer Mr Tom Dixon and the Norwegian energy and aluminium company Hydro. Made of recyclable aluminium, the HYDRO Chair is designed for longevity, multiuse and importantly, easy recycling; designed in 100% aluminium and with few components; it is easy to take apart when sometime in the future it will reach the end of its life as a chair. Tom Dixon is known for his love of metals and chose aluminium due to its suitable qualities for a light and robust chair designed with sustainability in mind. When Hydro’s technical experts and the Dixon team first met in late 2018, the design challenge was to shape a metal chair seat in one singular piece. This is not an easy task and required extensive research into various technologies, and production had to balance cost, design, practicality and technical feasibility. With experts from Hydro and the Dixon team working closely together exchanging ideas, they were able to push technology forward: An innovation in aluminium technology, The HYDRO Chair is produced by using superplastic forming of aluminium alloys that were originally developed for the automotive industry. The ballooned pattern has been achieved by blow-forming the metal (superplastic forming) at high temperatures and then laser cut by robots. These methods were developed in the automotive industries to make deep and complex forms that only a few years ago were impossible to achieve.The aluminium can be stretched to several times its original size without failure when heated. By tapping into Hydro’s aluminium expertise and using the 5000 series of specially developed superplastic alloys, the chair is lightweight but robust and made to last, also outdoors. A limited first edition of the chair will be sold exclusively on Tom Dixon’s online store, from Tom Dixon hubs around the world and selected international partners from April 13. The price is GBP 2,021 each.The chair has been manufactured and shaped by Verbom, a leader in sheet metal processing, offering design and fabrication sheet metal tooling services, and production services.
The HYDRO Chair was launched by Tom Dixon Studio. The chair is the result of close collaboration between British designer Mr Tom Dixon and the Norwegian energy and aluminium company Hydro. Made of recyclable aluminium, the HYDRO Chair is designed for longevity, multiuse and importantly, easy recycling; designed in 100% aluminium and with few components; it is easy to take apart when sometime in the future it will reach the end of its life as a chair. Tom Dixon is known for his love of metals and chose aluminium due to its suitable qualities for a light and robust chair designed with sustainability in mind. When Hydro’s technical experts and the Dixon team first met in late 2018, the design challenge was to shape a metal chair seat in one singular piece. This is not an easy task and required extensive research into various technologies, and production had to balance cost, design, practicality and technical feasibility. With experts from Hydro and the Dixon team working closely together exchanging ideas, they were able to push technology forward: An innovation in aluminium technology, The HYDRO Chair is produced by using superplastic forming of aluminium alloys that were originally developed for the automotive industry. The ballooned pattern has been achieved by blow-forming the metal (superplastic forming) at high temperatures and then laser cut by robots. These methods were developed in the automotive industries to make deep and complex forms that only a few years ago were impossible to achieve.The aluminium can be stretched to several times its original size without failure when heated. By tapping into Hydro’s aluminium expertise and using the 5000 series of specially developed superplastic alloys, the chair is lightweight but robust and made to last, also outdoors. A limited first edition of the chair will be sold exclusively on Tom Dixon’s online store, from Tom Dixon hubs around the world and selected international partners from April 13. The price is GBP 2,021 each.The chair has been manufactured and shaped by Verbom, a leader in sheet metal processing, offering design and fabrication sheet metal tooling services, and production services.
