NOMAD CHAIR BY SEBASTIAN JØRGENSEN REINTERPRETS THE 19TH CENTURY ROORKHEE CHAIR

The designer of We Do Wood crowdfunds an elegant chair for modern nomads

Roorkhee Chairs are the legendary British military campaign chairs that were named for the city of Roorkhee, India, where the Indian Army Corps of Engineers had their headquarters. Although a 19th century invention, the chair’s light and transportable design still holds influence in modern design. Case in point: Glen Baghurst’s Outdoor Events Chair. Danish designer Sebastian Jørgensen of We Do Wood has also recently debuted his version of the modern Roorkhee chair: the Nomad Chair.

In addition to the Roorkhee Chair, the Nomad Chair also draws inspiration from Kaare Klints’ iconic Safari Chair. Jørgensen spent years honing his own design, which extracts elements from both of its inspirations but also rethinks the design for a modern consumer. The chair is made from pieces of certified moso bamboo that are turned and fitted together without glue, nails or screws. Leather straps and a canvas seat are slung over the bamboo to hold the parts together. When the seat is occupied, the weight of the sitter creates tension that holds the pieces in place; the seat is thus entirely stable but also flexible enough to adapt to uneven terrain.

Improving upon its predecessor’s portability, the whole design can be assembled and disassembled in the blink of an eye, and it rolls into a compact package that is ultra-easy to transport. The chair also comes in the original colors of the 19th century version: khaki, blue and green.

Interestingly, the designer chose to launch the chair on Kickstarter not merely for economical reasons but also for ecological reasons. By asking consumers to order via Kickstarter, an accurate batch of chairs can be manufactured with no waste. The design has already reached its goal, but the campaign is still going. Contribute here and get your own modern design icon.