Norwegian designer Daniel Rybakken’s Petit Standard chair is a study in precision and considered details, fusing elegance and functionality. A highly stackable chair whose practical features actually enhance its aesthetic profile, it features ingenious links made from die-cast aluminium that avoid the need for visible weldings, contributing to a fluid aesthetic experience, without any interruptions.
How did Petit Standard come to be?
Daniel Rybakken: Petit Standard is my first chair and is the result of an eight-year journey. I remember making the first sketch of the chair in Spring 2012 – a sketch surprisingly similar to the end result. Taking the chair from a simple sketch to the finished project changed the way I work, and is what made me go from only working with 2D drawing programs to learn 3D CAD software. It was also why in 2013 I invested in my first 3D printer.
An early Petit Standard prototype.
What was the idea behind it?
Daniel Rybakken: My idea was to make a highly stackable chair where the features enabling the stackability would actually be the most beautiful details of the chair, instead of looking like compromises, as such features often do. By using two die-cast, zinc-aluminium elements where the rear legs meet the seat, I didn’t have to be limited by the turning radius of traditional steel tubes. This allowed me to make a more compact offset from the width of the seat to enable space for the next chair stacked on top. The use of a die cast join in this position also meant that there was an enormous tension in this one connection. My idea was to link the end of the rear legs with the top of the backrest, creating an incredibly strong and stiff triangular geometry. To keep the stackability, I needed to use additional die-cast aluminium elements, joining the tubes like a branch diverting from the trunk of a tree, making the long vertical tube the widest part of the chair.
Petit Standard / ultra marine / blue powder coated steel base
How would you describe Petit Standard?
Daniel Rybakken: The triangular shape of the frame gives the chair its iconic silhouette and the details of the die-cast metal joins give the chair a feeling of quality and refinement. The high placement of the backrest and its high curvature make the chair very comfortable. As a contrast to the all-metal engineered frame, the seat and backrest are made in veneered Oak, bringing the warmth and texture of a natural and organic material.
Petit Standard prototype.
