We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Patrick Sarran about their original and creative Bridge armchair design work. Patrick Sarran is an award-winning industrial designer, that makes our world a better place with their original bridge armchair works.
Patrick Sarran ("PS") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Ami Bridge armchair. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
PS : Watching a rugby match here in Toulouse, the rugby capital of France, I got the idea of using as a main motif the distinctive oval shape of a rugby ball.
PS : In 2010, my brother asked me to create 60 new armchairs for his restaurant. He needed something new, colored, comfortable, strong and stain-resistant. I decided to make a wraparound chair, with the constraint of a low scale production in my workshop.
PS : Every designer must designed a chair. I hope this one will continue to be successful.
PS : Six months.
PS : I designed this armchair for my brother, and edit it by QUISO.
PS : AMI is used by QUISO, my own company; Maybe in the future I will need a partner.
PS : I wanted something very exclusive for my brother.
PS : Always Jean Prouvé. This designer was a manufacturer too. He followed simpler ways from the function to the form as from his craft. As him I designed this chair with the goal to produce it in my workshop, not in a specialized factory. There are common points in the approach, and also in the shapes of our both designs. Massive legs of AMI chair have evident similarities with those of Jean Prouvé pieces.
PS : Restaurants, hotels.
PS : The design combines oval and square shapes. The elliptic holes in the arms are lined by moulded pieces of wood that people enjoy stroking.
PS : AMI in french means Friend and remind me of Michel my brother.
PS : I simultaneously use the software Vectorworks and my cabinet maker workshop.
PS : The profile with oval shapes in bright colors contrasting with its massive legs
PS : I made two simplified prototypes that I presented to my brother, Chef Michel Sarran in his 2-star restaurant. He and the more corpulent members of his staff tested comfort and criticized various aspects such as handling ability, weight and aesthetics. In this interactive process I had to optimize the size of the armchair, both for better comfort and also for better adaptation to the capacity of the restaurant.
PS : Several pieces inside are cut using water jet and laser machines.
PS : There was no data used during the early stages but a lot research went into the type of materials, components and shape of design.
PS : Making an affordable quality chair in short series is difficult for a craftsman. I had to take in account this constraint in my design. Fortunately I had two good subcontractors nearby, an upholsterer and a sheet metal factory equipped with laser and water jet machines that could also be used for wood panels.
PS : One day, I found the proposal to participate to A’Design Award in my mail box. I did not know this competition. After I read the rules and the methodology of the contest, I told myself, why not?
PS : I develop methods allowing me to produce chairs in short series.
