Platinum Furniture Design · 2022
Dc 3 Stool
- A' Design Award 2022 Platinum Winner in Furniture Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: Fahrer Design
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 8,045,380
- Verification code C759813A3F · Verify this award
About Dc 3 Stool
DC 3 is a backless chair inspired by the DC 3 aircraft, a twin-engine monoplane. Seen from the side, the sculptural form recalls the structural ribs of the aircraft wing. The piece is made of plywood boards shaped by precision CNC cutting, which limits material waste. The visible edges of each layer create a structural support that also works as a visual detail. All materials are certified and non-toxic, and the glue and the varnish are water based. The design can be used as seating, a footrest, a side table or a decorative object.
Within the contemporary discourse surrounding sustainable design and material innovation, Sergio Fahrer's DC 3 Stool emerges as a compelling meditation on the expressive potential of laminated wood construction. The work participates in a venerable tradition extending from the steam-bent experiments of Michael Thonet through the organic modernism of Alvar Aalto, yet introduces distinctly contemporary sensibilities through its parametric formal language and refined structural logic. The designer demonstrates exceptional command of his chosen medium, exploiting the inherent flexibility of thin plywood laminations to achieve curves that would prove impossible in solid timber, while the exposed edge treatments celebrate rather than conceal the construction methodology. Each ribbed undulation serves dual purposes, providing both structural depth through increased moment of inertia and visual rhythm that transforms functional necessity into aesthetic virtue. The Z-form silhouette resolves the considerable engineering challenge of cantilevered seating through elegant geometry rather than hidden reinforcement, inviting contemplation of how material, form, and function achieve harmonious integration. The chromatic warmth of the birch against its architectural setting suggests a dialogue between natural and mineral worlds, organic growth patterns meeting geological permanence. This presentation of two variations encourages comparative study, revealing how subtle shifts in edge treatment and tonal emphasis create distinct personalities within a unified formal vocabulary. The work invites consideration of how traditional craft knowledge might synthesize with contemporary computational approaches, and whether the poetry of material transformation can address both functional requirements and deeper human desires for objects that embody care, intelligence, and beauty in equal measure.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- With a sculptural design, the stool concept refers to the aerodynamic lines of the monoplane that inspired it, the DC 3. The versatility of plywood cut by the CNC technique provides freedom of creation, bringing innovation to the stool's design that when seen sideways reproduces the shape of the legendary aircraft's wing structure. Using its own structure as a detail, the piece is built by respecting the natural aspect of its raw material, making its unique details a true invitation to the eyes
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 378mm X 524mm X 461mm
- Tags
- furniture, stool, plywood, furniture design, art
- Production Technology
- To make the DC 3 stool, boards of plywood are used through a precision cutting process (CNC). By using this technique we optimize the usage of the boards minimizing the waste of wood. The choice of revealing the different lines of each layer result in a structural support that becomes a pleasant visual detail.
All materials used to make the stool are non-toxic and certified. The glue and the varnish are water-based and the multi-layer plywood's veneers are certified by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). - Project Duration
- DC 3 was designed in Sao Paulo in 2021
- Operation Flow
- Because of its unique aesthetics the DC 3 stool can be displayed as a sculpture or decoration piece as well as a side table. It is also suitable as foot rest besides its original purpose as a stool.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the DC 3, a low-wing twin-engine monoplane that was a game changer for the aircraft market in the 1950s and 1960s, the DC 3 stool resembles the structural ribs of the monoplane's wings. Result of the designer's passion for research and development of new techniques, the piece is designed with organic curves and its structure is transformed into unique details to improve its aesthetics. The stool with a sculptural design finds in the apparent edges a way to highlight its lines.
- Image Credits
- Photographer: Gui Gomes