Project: Virén Chair

Fortum, a Finnish energy company, created the Virén Chair, a chair designed to
be just as resilient in its form and function as Lasse Virén's 1972 Olympics gold medal.
The chair was designed to reflect Virén's legacy with a design that is both aerodynamic
and organic and takes its inspiration from running motion. Fortum worked with a team of
engineers and physicists from Aalto University to sketch out concepts and assess
viability, then turned to TBWA\Helsinki to help design the prototype. The team used
computer-aided design simulations and iterating working concepts to zero in on
requirements for weight, geometry and arm shape. To ensure the chair could withstand
stress, support weight and reset itself in a real-world environment, the team reinforced
Fortum's recycled plastic compound with a cellulose fiber that absorbs carbon.
The result is a material with a carbon footprint that's about half that of virgin
plastics. Fortum hired additive manufacturing firm Maker3D to generate a prototype,
which was unveiled in February. However, the company has no plans to put the chair
into production.
This project is beneficial since consumption of plastic is always rising on a
worldwide scale, therefore the conversation around plastics should instead focus on
how to boost recycling. Recycling plastic and converting waste into reusable materials
should be done whenever possible to ensure that the material's value is maintained.