1946年，时装品牌Dior在巴黎蒙田大道30号开设了第一家精品店，其室内设计简约而现代，同时又不失经典特色。Dior的创始人Christian Dior认为凡尔赛宫是法国美学的精髓所在，他尤其钟爱那把据说是路易十六使用过的椭圆形靠背奖章椅（medallion chair），经常将其应用在精品店和时装秀中。这款座椅成为了该品牌的标志，后来又作为视觉元素出现在香水瓶和广告中。
When fashion house Dior set up its first boutique on 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, 1946, it was characterized by simple and modern interiors but with classical features. Founder Christian Dior believed essential French aesthetics resided in the Palace of Versailles, and adored especially the oval-backed medallion chair said to have been used by Louis the 16th, featuring it frequently in boutiques and fashion shows. The chair became an icon of the maison, later appearing as a visual element for perfume bottles and advertisements.
▼项目概览，overview © Hiroshi Iwasaki
18组创意人士应邀参加2021米兰设计周，展示以奖章椅为灵感的新作。其中，nendo使用最先进的技术重新诠释了这款经典座椅，从而延续“现代与传统的优雅融合”这一宗旨。该座椅使用的单块玻璃尺寸为1800 x 1100mm，厚度仅为3mm。普通技术仅能将其弯曲成U形，新开发的技术可以使其进一步弯曲成C形。弯曲的玻璃板构成椅子的腿部和背部，另一块3mm厚的玻璃板弯成拱形，用作椅座部分。成型后，两块玻璃板浸入450℃的硝酸钾熔盐中，而后冷却硬化。该过程不仅通过钠钾离子交换增强了玻璃表面硬度，而且还提升了椅子的抗弯强度和耐损性能。最后椅座和椅背由透明UV胶和硅胶粘结，形成独特而舒适的弯曲程度和柔和线条，使人难以相信这竟然是由玻璃制成的。
▼使用场景，utilization scene © Hiroshi Iwasaki
Eighteen groups of creatives were invited to 2021 Milan design week to showcase new works inspired by the medallion chair. A decision was made to reinterpret this classical chair using state-of-the-art technology in continuation of the vision of our founding, “graceful fusion of modernity and tradition.” The glass is a single sheet of 1800 x 1100 mm, just 3.0 mm thick. While ordinary techniques only allow for bending as far as a U shape, a newly developed method enables a deeper, C-shaped curve. The curved glass sheet became the chair’s leg and back, and a separate glass sheet of 3.0mm thick formed into a dome was used as the seat. After shaping, the two pieces were immersed in potassium nitrate molten salt at 450℃ and then chemically hardened by cooling. The process consequently increases not only the hardness of the surface through ion exchange from sodium to potassium ions, but also the chair’s flexural strength and resistance to scratching. Last of all, the back and seat were bonded with a clear UV adhesive and silicone. The result is a comforting curvature and softness so unique as to raise doubts of its glass composition.
▼透明奖章椅，the transparent medallion chair © Hiroshi Iwasaki
▼俯瞰：C形外观，top view: C-shaped form © Hiroshi Iwasaki
▼衔接细部，connection details © Hiroshi Iwasaki
▼椅背细部，back detail © Hiroshi Iwasaki
▼抗压性能测试，resistance test © Hiroshi Iwasaki
除了全透明座椅，nendo还生产了磨砂座椅，以及令人联想到Dior的黑色座椅和粉色渐变座椅。每把椅子背面的椭圆形洞口给人一种奖章椅优雅地漂浮在空中的印象。
Alongside the fully transparent chairs, are frosted chairs, as well as ones in black and pink ombré that are evocative of the Dior brand, are produced. The oval cutout in the back of each one conveys the impression that the medallion chair’s most notable characteristic is floating delicately in midair.
▼磨砂奖章椅，the frosted medallion chair © Hiroshi Iwasaki
▼细部，details © Hiroshi Iwasaki
▼黑色奖章椅，the black medallion chair © Hiroshi Iwasaki
▼细部，details © Hiroshi Iwasaki
▼粉色奖章椅，the pink medallion chair © Hiroshi Iwasaki
▼细部，details © Hiroshi Iwasaki
▼设计草图，sketch © nendo
Client: Dior Maison Collaborator: Sherry Huang, Takahiro Fukino, Yuko Hata Photographer: Hiroshi Iwasaki
