Work: Ghost

Description

“Her style is underpinned by a design philosophy centered on humanity—a project of creating products from suitable, accessible materials, with multi-functionality as her hallmark.” — Chiara Alessi.

Designed by architect and designer Cini Boeri and manufactured by FIAM since 1987, Ghost is a groundbreaking monolithic armchair made entirely of curved glass. Boeri’s modus operandi was always defined by practicality and a sagacious use of materials; she consistently prioritized the human relationship to the object, ensuring that the chosen medium assumed its form naturally and in perfect harmony with its inherent characteristics.

The Ghost chair is born from a single sheet of 12mm-thick glass. The fabrication process is deceptively straightforward yet precise: the flat sheet is cut according to a specific template and then heated in a kiln until it bends under its own weight to achieve its final, iconic form. Cutting and bending are fundamental operations for glass, yet here they yield a seamless, continuous surface. The result is a completely transparent armchair, measuring 95 cm wide and 68 cm high, that achieved structural integrity with minimal processing.

Bringing glass into the realm of high design was the pioneering vision of FIAM’s founder, Vittorio Livi. At FIAM, each object is curved by balancing the natural behavior of the material with the craftsmanship and temperament of the glassmaker, making every single piece uniquely distinct.

Creating Ghost was only possible by embracing the near-magical properties of glass—“the most interesting material of the modern era and for the future of humanity,” as Livi wrote on the armchair’s 30th anniversary. While the version in this collection is crafted from classic transparent glass, the chair is also produced in various colored and lacquered finishes.

Ghost – duration: 0:39.
Sonic evocation of the object created by Paolo Ferrario

Futher info: Ghost on FIAM website