Quite often I get asked if there is monobloc chairs made from recycled plastics. To my best knowledge the answer is: No, not exactly. To make a sturdy monobloc chair you would need high-quality polypropylene, the very thin piece would all too easy break if material is not exactly and consistently specified. However, those chunky Adirondack-chairs and some benches could be made of recycled material, since the parts are many times thicker than the rather airy mono.

The issue is the legs. With shorter, appropriately designed legs, one could reckon, you may make a monobloc from less resilient recycling material – and this is exactly what Austrian designer Thomas Feichtner did, together with tool maker Haidlmaier and supported by Vitra. His Linz Hocker premiered last year at the Linz State Gallery (the city being European Capital of Culture that year) in the “Der Fall Forum Design” exhibition.

Feichtner has obviously plenty of experience with constructing robust folding structures, in his portfolio many similar designs can be found. His Linz Stool however seems the very first and only monobloc-thing ever made from recycled polypropylene. A side effect of this approach was subtle differences in color. Although generally dark grey, some chairs came with a reddish, some with a greenish shade, Thomas told me on the phone.

Another point I like about the project, that goes beyond just designing a chair, is its intervening approach: The visitors of the opening night were free to take a stool home, so

“stools will appear again and again in apartments, shops or studios. Some will change hands at the Linz flea markets after some years. In the course of time the Linz Stool may circulate not only in Linz but also become a messenger for design from Linz.”

In case you missed the event but want one, Vitra is distributing them at 39 Euro a piece.

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