INVENTORY 04_THORAVEJ 29_HIGH CHAIR

For the radical transformation of Thoravej 29 by Pihlmann Architects, Archival was commissioned by furniture and material consultant Sara Martinsen to design a high chair that would be placed throughout the building. The architecture’s uncompromising, value-driven consistency creates industrial yet transparent spaces. In response, we chose Douglas fir, treated with natural linseed oil, to bring a lively and warm expression through the bold red grain of the locally sourced wood. The lumber was sourced from Bikubenfonden’s Svanninge Bjerge natural reserve, selecting only trees that needed thinning to support the forest’s health. This approach enabled close collaboration throughout the entire process – from tree selection to the final installation at Thoravej 29. The Douglas fir used for the chair was naturally dried over several months, avoiding energy-intensive drying in ovens. While formally inspired by the Archival Ply High Chair, the Douglas High Chair – produced in-house by MSSR Works – features a thinner profile and embraces natural imperfections. Knots, wind cracks, sapwood, and planer marks are intentionally included, demonstrating how both natural and human-made irregularities can serve as examples of sustainable practice and inviting details in an increasingly perfected world. In this way, the chair enters into a dialogue with the building itself.