Floor Skrabanja created a collection of seating objects made from a single piece of 3D-knitted upholstery. As the objects do not need to be glued or stitched, they can easily be taken apart. The collection includes a chair, stool and sofa, each covered with a seamless, continuous piece of fabric that is slipped on like a sleeve and fastens to a frame with a contrasting orange cord.
The upholstery is 3D-knitted, a method that combines digital pattern-making with the knitting process. The process replicates 3D printing's ability to scale and multiply a pattern, in order to create complex designs at specified sizes. By heating the 3D-printed filament and allowing it to fuse together, a solid shape is created that is built up of layers. The technique can be scaled up to cover entire pieces of furniture, as well as to make clothing or blankets. The furniture itself consists of floppy shapes that are folded or draped over each other. These are supported by an aluminium frame filled with fibres cut from old textiles.
An important aspect of the collection is circularity, so the yarns can be unravelled and re-knitted as another piece of furniture. That's why Skrabanja opted for textured polyester yarn, which is strong, durable and does not break easily after use. In the future, fully recycled yarns will be most suitable for this, once their quality has improved sufficiently.
