If you’re at all in the orbit of the “functional fitness” craze—as I am, through mere bodily proximity, since my husband occasionally assails my senses with exercise I like to quantify simply as “jumping around”—than perhaps you’ve heard of the “posterior chain.” The term refers to the hypertrophic gluteal development found in athletes of sound core mechanics, enhanced mobility, and stable spines. So a big muscular butt generally suggests a superior specimen (like tennis’ recent wunderkind Rafael Nadal). All this is a long way of suggesting that manufacturer Paulsburg is on the cusp of cultural cache when they advertise their latest, the Spurt Lounge Chair, by focusing on the aggressively protruding ass muscles of a sprinter at the mark.
Carbon-Infused Concrete Creates a Compelling Aesthetic
Like other single-piece products (see Marco Goffi’s >Fusillo or Karim Rashid’s >Uno Desk), Spurt conveys a singular sculptural appeal by virtue of the singular gesture inherent in its making. “Inspired by the silhouette of a sprinter just about to start the race,” Spurt is created from a single mold of carbon textile reinforced concrete. The substance sounds—and the chair looks—rather heavy. And, indeed, if precedent or the visual sense spoke truthfully, it might weigh in at “too heavy to move,” but fact is often stranger than supposition, and Spurt actually tips the scales at a rather modest 30 kg.
Stateside, that figure translates to 66 pounds, perhaps a bit heavy for a single female to easily re-locate for TV watching, but then Spurt isn’t really that kind of chair. As befits this contemporary take on a classically durable material, Spurt is indoor/outdoor, which means it gravitates to social situations, or milieu in which its modern panache and textural innovations can be appreciated by a wider demographic. And speaking of wider, Spurt is spacious to a fault. At 92 x 85 x 108 cm, the piece offers capacious contours for those proud of posterior—whether we’re talking muscle or its opposing constituent of human physiology. In either case, Spurt is a show-stopping centerpiece—a bold new sally into the expanding A&D potential of unconventional materials.
Via Contemporist.
Topics: All Posts