Skrolla Lounge Chair │ 2021
PD23 Winner
Category:Furniture - Chair UnitsLocation:San Francisco, California, USADesigner:Dan Harden, Whipsaw Inc., San Francisco, California, USAManufacturer:SKROLLA Living, San Francisco, California, USA
Skrolla is a lounge chair for residential or contract use. It is comprised of only 6 wood parts and weighs only 19 lbs. The assembly method is all new and protected by a robust utility patent. The legs go through the seat and attach under the arms, and the larger leg diameter under the seat carries all the weight.
Skrolla is offered in walnut, teak, and oak, each with a strong grain highlighting the curves. Skrolla is handmade in Oakland, California. Every detail is exquisite, including the wood, joints, edges, and finish.
“A lounge chair is the quintessential design problem, and many have been designed. However, they are often bulky, heavy, and complex to manufacture. A lounge chair should be extremely comfortable, but often aren’t due to poor human factors. A lounge chair is often the centerpiece of a room so it must be beautiful, but many are not. I had a vision to solve these problems and create a wonderful new chair that merges art and comfort.” – Dan Harden, Designer.
Skrolla is a “complete” design solution. It innovates every category of design including form, materials, function, comfort, simplicity, uniqueness, and manufacturing technique. The flowing organic form is made possible by “vacuum forming” veneer layers into a scroll-shaped seat. The four legs insert through the seat bottom and anchor underneath the arms, which locks them in place. The legs are 1.5” diameter on the bottom, and 1.25” on top, so all weight rests on the four leg “shoulders.”
The backrest mortises and tenons into the two back legs. To make the seat, 6 layers of veneer and epoxy are placed under a wood form and placed inside a vacuum bag, which pulls the veneer tightly around the scroll form. When the epoxy sets, the seat pops off of the form due to the seat draft angle.
Skrolla is extremely strong due to this unique “scroll box” construction. The lighter core poplar veneer highlights the flowing edge line that compels the eye to move around the form. Skrolla is very comfortable to sit in due to its ideal dimensions and geometry. The seat slants down at 15 degrees and the back to seat angle is 102 degrees. All woods are sustainably sourced and the core veneers are made of abundant poplar wood.
Skrolla advances how a lounge chair looks, feels, and is made. Because it’s high quality like a fine instrument, it’s coveted by the owner, instilling pride of ownership. Skrolla is an example of what you can do within a traditional category if you put your mind to it.