Designing for Ikea: Gio Tirotto on the process of creating an Ikea chair
The first Italian designing for Ikea, Gio Tirotto tells Wallpaper* about the process of creating furniture for the most democratic design company
![Gio Tirotto Designing for Ikea: the Ensholm chair](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Wjzi7b3UTqkNJXfFtijoPM-415-80.jpg)
Few endeavours in the world of furniture design are as iconic or impactful as designing for Ikea. With its global reach and democratic design philosophy – making the possibility of home enhancement accessible – the Swedish giant has been shaping not just living spaces but also the way we interact with furniture. Now, in 2024, Ikea has collaborated with Italian designer Gio Tirotto (who is also the first Italian to work with the company) to introduce the ‘Ensholm’ chair, a fusion of functionality, sustainability, and iconic design.
Designing for Ikea: Gio Tirotto
Gio Tirotto sitting on his ‘Ensholm’ chair for Ikea
Tirotto's perspective on designing for Ikea encapsulates the essence of the project and his ‘Ensholm’ chair offers a sophisticated and practical solution for outdoor environments. He says, ‘Designing a chair for Ikea is certainly one of the most interesting and important challenges for a designer. Ikea is known all over the world for its democratic design approach, in which an object's creation and production prioritise accessibility, ensuring it is attainable to the widest audience while preserving the core design characteristics.’
Named after a small island in eastern Sweden, the ‘Ensholm’ chair blends thoughtful design with functionality. Crafted with painted steel and a unique plastic mesh fabric, the chair offers durability and comfort. Tirotto's emphasis on assembly as a social and educational process underscores Ikea's commitment to its customers. ‘Designing for Ikea, there is a phase that I particularly love, which concerns the relationship between the object and the user – that is the assembly,’ he says. ‘During assembly, users become aware of the design process, increasing their relationship with the object itself.’
The technical prowess of the ‘Ensholm’ chair lies in its structural integrity. The tension between the fabric and the seat/backrest frame creates a supportive yet yielding surface, inviting users to relax without worry. Additionally, the design features an ergonomic handle integrated into the rear legs, allowing for easy mobility without direct contact with the fabric.
Tirotto's commitment to synthesis and functionality is evident in every aspect of the chair. He notes, ‘Every element of the chair is useful; if we eliminated only one of its components, it would fall.’ With only ten Allen screws required for assembly, the chair embodies simplicity and sustainability. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the chair also prioritises environmental consciousness. Every component is fully recyclable, aligning with Ikea's sustainability principles.
The design’s strength, as Tirotto puts it, is ‘its absolute synthesis, the tireless search for subtraction’, and the ‘Ensholm’ chair invites us to reimagine outdoor comfort and sustainability in our living spaces.
The ‘Ensholm’ chair, £27, is now available via ikea.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Maria Cristina Didero is an independent design curator, consultant and author, who has contributed to many publications over the years. Didero has consulted for companies such as Vitra, Fritz Hansen, Lexus, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Valextra among others. Based in Milan, she works internationally, curating exhibitions for institutions: some of her most recent projects include Nendo: The Space in Between and The Conversation Show at the Holon Design Museum, Israel; FUN HOUSE by Snarkitecture at National Building Museum, Washington D.C.; SuperDesign a project about Italian radical design, NY; Vegan Design, or the Art of Reduction by Erez Nevi and The Fish and The Crowd by Carlo Massoud, Milan. In April 2022 she curated a Mathieu Lehanneur exhibition at the Triennale in Milan called The Inventory of Life, while in July she debuted a project at the MK&G in Hamburg titled Ask Me if I Believe in the Future, alongside a series of ongoing collaborations. She was appointed 2022 Curatorial Director of Design Miami/. She is currently preparing two projects for Milan Design Week 2023.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Rescue dogs and cats model Ikea's latest pet collection
Ikea Utsådd pet collection features cats and dogs essentials, modelled in their latest catalogue by rescue pets from the Woodgreen Pets Charity
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Ikea meets Japan in this new pattern-filled collection
New Ikea Sötrönn collection by Japanese artist Hiroko Takahashi brings Japan and Scandinavia together in a pattern-filled, joyful range for the home
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Ikea introduces its first gaming furniture collection
Brännboll is the first Ikea gaming furniture collection, unveiled during Milan Design Week 2024 and designed to swiftly transform a domestic space into a gamer’s paradise
By Jasper Spires Published
-
Ikea and Raw Color deliver a collection of vibrant crafts to cheer up your living space
Ikea and Raw Color present ‘Tesammans’, a collection full of playful designs, vibrant textures and an eye-catching colour palette
By Yoko Choy Published
-
Ikea Life at Home Report imagines life in 2030
The latest Ikea Life at Home Report includes imagined scenarios to paint a picture of the Swedish company’s predictions for how we will live in 2030
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
2024 horoscope: design for every star sign
For the Wallpaper* 2024 horoscope, we asked Italian astrologist Lumpa what the year has in store, and what design objects each star sign will love
By Lumpa Published
-
Ikea Dajlien marks the company's home wellness and training equipment debut
During Miami Art Week 2023, Ikea presented the Dajlien collection, comprising 19 new wellness products and marking the Swedish company's training equipment debut
By Maria Sobrino Published
-
Ikea’s Space10: a decade of ground-breaking design ideas
Ikea’s Space10 has announced it will close on 31 August 2023 after ten years of groundbreaking innovations in food, design and more: see our Space10 top ten
By Rosa Bertoli Published