The Virén Chair

With the brand purpose of driving change for a cleaner world, energy company Fortum saw a need and an opportunity to demonstrate the full potential of its innovative material Fortum Circo® recycled plastics — a robust, multi-useable and innovative material made from post-consumer plastic waste. Using Fortum Circo®, they created The Virén Chair, a chair that always picks itself up when it falls. The Virén Chair was developed over a 1.5-year period in collaboration with engineers, researchers and physicists to self-rise completely without the use of robotics, relying solely on motion and its own design. The self-rising functionality of The Virén Chair is based on CAD simulations: the weight geometry and raising arm shape are both iterated in the design process to force the chair to rise if it falls — the key to this feature being the location of the centre of gravity point in relation to the chair geometry. The Virén Chair was inspired by Finnish runner Lasse Virén, who fell in the 10,000m final of 1972 Olympics but got up, won gold and even set a new world record. The chair literally stands up for recycled plastics, demonstrating the versatility, quality and durability of Fortum Circo®.

 Red Dot Award: Design Concept | Concept | Sustainability