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.
The Astral Bench is a truly original design where two elements are repeated to create a self-supporting structure. One part forms the seat and the other part forms the back, culminating in an ingenious, integrated construction of a semi-circle. It’s a clever design by Per Borre that has garnered numerous awards ever since its initial launch in 1979. Its clever configuration of geometric elements not only soften the linear construction, but also prevents any need for intrusive, supporting metal elements. Adding to the appeal of the open shape is the use of hard woods, making the Astral Bench conducive to any socially engaging space, whether indoors or outdoors. The modular makeup of the design itself means it can also be customised for special projects. Simple, sculptural and distinctive, the Astral Bench has a graphic look with a universal appeal. It’s an aesthetically pleasing, practical design that’s a natural fit for both modern and historic 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."
