When is a bench not just a bench? When it’s also a stunning sculptural work, blurring the lines between functional furniture and art. ‘Arboreous’ by Rota Lab is another great example of wood being used in unexpected ways, with the adaptability and beauty of the material taking center stage.
Installed in the apartment of a client, the bench was custom-made for the space, offering a place to take a seat in the foyer. Branch-like appendages seem to grow organically from the slats of the bench, crawling up the wall, curving into a corner and stretching up into a skylight.
The customer asked for a piece inspired by Pablo Reinoso’s Spaghetti Bench series in which the wooden or steel slats of a seat flow off to one side as if they have a life of their own.
According to the designers, the bench “required two months of intense experimentation on wood bending and one month to build and assemble it.”
