{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1240918"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1240918/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EY6981/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EY6981/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2011EY6981","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EY6977","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EY6979","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EY6980","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1240918","accessionNumber":"W.18-2011","objectType":"Chair","titles":[{"title":"Branca","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"The Branca chair was designed by London-based studio Industrial Facility in 2010. Manufactured in Italy by the firm Mattiazzi, the chair combines high-tech robotic manufacturing techniques with hand-, tool- and machine-making. The chair is a particularly interesting example of the ways in which contemporary furniture designers can combine digital processes with more traditional methods.","physicalDescription":"This chair is made from seven parts of unstained waxed ash. All pieces are joined with wooden dowels and some glue. The parts that make up the chair are as follows: two back uprights, which are one piece with the back legs; two armrests, which are one piece with the front legs; a back-rest; a seat; a cross-piece that supports the seat. \n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Hecht, Sam","id":"AUTH332658"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Colin, Kim","id":"AUTH332659"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Mattiazzi","id":"AUTH332660"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"x33306"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ash","id":"AAT164025"}],"techniques":[{"text":"","id":""}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Ash","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2011EY6981","2011EY6977","2011EY6979","2011EY6980"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"134","id":"THES49879"},"free":"","case":"BY1","shelf":"EXP","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Chair","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Italy","id":"x28927"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2010","earliest":"2010-01-01","latest":"2010-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"W.17-2011","id":"O1224758"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"Given by Mattiazzi","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"84","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"55.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"56.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"M (in square), C (in square), 2 (in circle)\r\nMATTIAZZI\r\nMADE IN ITALY","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"stamp on underside of supporting cross under seat"}],"objectHistory":"The Branca chair was designed by London-based studio Industrial Facility. Industrial Facility was founded by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin in 2002. The chair, whose design was inspired by the branches of a tree, is manufactured in Italy by Mattiazzi.\r\n\r\nThe Branca chair won the Design Museum's Furniture Design of the Year award in 2011. It also won the Habitare Award in Helsinki in 2011.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Branca chair, designed by Industrial Facility (Sam Hecht and Kim Colin) and manufactured by Mattiazzi, Italy","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Hecht, Sam and Colin, Kim. '<i>What we think about when we think about wood (Branca revisited)</i>' in <u>Modern Design Review</u>, Spring/Summer 2014\n"}],"production":"The chair was manufactured using a combination of robotic making, making with machine tools, and handwork. The block of wood that forms the back leg and upright, which supports the critical joints of the armrest, seat and back, is the most complex part of the chair. This piece was first cut with a machine saw, then sanded and further shaped by a computer-controlled oscillating spindle sander, and finally worked by an 8-axis, computer-controlled (CNC) robotic arm. This arm, fitted with eight different tools, further cut, carved, drilled, routed and sanded the upright. \n\nA video showing the process by which the chair was made can be seen on the V&amp;A's website: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/videos/h/video-how-was-it-made-the-branca-chair/","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},{"text":"Italy","id":"x28927"}],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"‘Branca’ chair\t\r\n2011\r\nDesigned by Industrial Facility\r\n\r\nItaly\r\nManufactured by Mattiazzi, Udine\r\nAsh, waxed\r\n\t\r\nGiven by Mattiazzi\r\nMuseum no. W.18-2011\r\n\r\n\r\nComplex forms and joints can be produced using computer-controlled robots. For each back upright of this chair, an 8-axis robotic arm cut, shaped and drilled a pre-shaped piece of wood. Traditional hand and factory methods were used to make the other parts, to finish the chair and to assemble it using wooden dowels.\r\n","date":{"text":"01/12/2012","earliest":"2012-12-01","latest":"2012-12-01"}}],"partNumbers":["W.18-2011"],"accessionNumberNum":"18","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":2011,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LU8570"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2011-09-27","availableToBook":false}}