Stratflex by Wintec
A flexible and beautiful twist on flatpack furniture
Winner of this year’s 2013 Innovation Award at the Design Indaba Expo, the Stratflex line of seating introduces a novel concept into the world of flatpack furniture: curves. By embedding a grid of flexible polymer into its Finnish plywood surface, the Stratflex line is able to form more complex shapes and surfaces than traditional flat-pack products, which tend toward more angular forms.
The final, assembled furniture takes on the classical molded plywood forms of traditional mid-century designers like Cherner and Charles and Ray Eames, but with the environmental benefits of flat shipping rates and ease of assembly. Additionally, the creation of polymer grids for seating surfaces actually provides flex and cushioning.
The final result is a line of seating that is classically beautiful as well as completely modern, with the curved forms of the wood offset by the gray flexible polymer grids, sitting atop a more linear frame (made from Eucalyptus Salinga hardwood, indigenous to South Africa). The chairs are naturally finished, though additional polymer colors would no doubt be possible in future versions.
The line is currently being produced in Wintec’s South African factory, with prices ranging from approximately $185 for the Impi side chair up to $1500 for the Skin three seater.
Images courtesy of Wintec
