The bench forms a semi-circle in which the bench balances on its own weight, creating a seated sculpture free of obtrusive metal support elements. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
Per Borre designed the Astral bench in 1979, which subsequently won a host of awards for its sculptural shape and innovative construction. The bench is comprised of only two repeat elements that integrate to create the back and seat. Astral is available in two standard sizes, however due to the modular makeup of the design, it can also be customised for special projects. Astral is a functional seating sculpture that is said to have more in common with architecture than basic furniture design. The open circular seating provides for a socially engaging space. Astral is constructed of hardwoods that are suitable for outdoor as well as indoor use. Astral is used in waiting areas, courtyards and parks, and the strong character of the design goes well with both historic and modern architecture.
Borre pursues the expressive and sculptural properties of logical construction. This ambition is very much fulfilled in his masterpiece, the 1979 Astral Bench for Fredericia, where the logic is the repetition of two basic parts to create a self-supporting structure. Anyone that has played with matchsticks at some point in their childhood becomes fascinated by the endless possibilities for combining shapes that the sticks provide. Furniture designer Per Borre was one such child, but for him, the appeal of identical elements has only grown with age. His masterpiece, Astral, is an excellent example of this. The idea of reusing the same element in repetition inspired the award-winning bench. Borre’s interest in construction dates back to when he was a small boy. Afternoons were spent at construction sites with his father, who was an architect, with evenings spent in a basement with offcuts of refuse wood, a box of nails and a hammer. Borre went on to become a furniture carpenter and designer, as well as an architect. Whenever he begins on a new project, he uses a process of elimination to define what it is he is looking for so as not to create something superfluous. Why design a chair or a bookcase if it already exists? For Borre the formula for success is simple: “You have finished when you are satisfied."
