French studio Niveau Zéro Atelier has salvaged waste clay from construction sites around Paris and vacuum-sealed it to form the padding of a chaise lounge that was unveiled at the Collectible design fair in Brussels.
In the absence of air, the clay remains wet inside its clear plastic sheath, allowing the Soft Soil daybed to mould to the body of its occupant as if it were made of Play-Doh.
The Soft Soil daybed uses wet clay as padding
Set on a spartan base of recycled stainless steel, the only colour is provided by the clay itself, which has a naturally pale green hue before firing.
"It's such an interesting way to look at upholstery," said Richard Healy, creative director of London-based design platform Relay Design Projects, which commissioned the piece. The clay is piped into a clear plastic envelope to form the upholstery
"It's an unexpected material to bring into that conversation," he added. "For us, that was most intriguing: how it questions so many status quos in terms of upholstery."
Niveau Zéro Atelier sourced the clay from construction sites in the suburbs of Paris, where it piles up as a waste byproduct of the excavation process.
The greyish-green colour of the illite clay comes from its mineral-rich composition, which makes it a popular ingredient in face masks and other beauty products.
Button details evoke traditional Chesterfield upholstery
To make the clay useable, it had to undergo a rinse-and-repeat refining process that i...