Mawj: 3D Printed Chair

Mawj, Arabic for waves, is a 3D-printed armchair designed by MEAN* for a private client and made by Nagami.

The undulating pattern of its aquamarine surface recalls the waters of the Arabian Gulf off Dubai.

The chair tests robotic 3D printing as a way to design and produce bespoke furniture. The chair is printed as one continuous form, on its side, with a wall just 6 mm thick, in recycled PETG polymer.

The chair’s dimensions borrow from the proportions of the Eames Lounge Chair. It is designed to stand on its own in an interior, as an object as much as a seat. Its shape was found through a sequence of algorithmic design iterations, aiming for comfort and stability.

Each printed layer is a single line that becomes a sine curve as it wraps around the form. On every other layer, the sine curve is inverted, generating a weaving pattern that makes larger undulations on the surface.

The pattern is designed to stiffen the shell and gives the surface its ripple, which comes directly from the parametric model of the chair. A series of prototypes refined the details.

The pattern fades out toward the edges and intensifies at the top, avoiding areas where the back would rest. The pattern wraps around the whole surface, which is doubly curved for stability.

Mawj (موج) is a step toward furniture that uses very little material. It was also printed in black, in transparent PETG for Jimmy Choo, and in a gradient from aquamarine to grey.


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Download the Mawj Chair Brochure (PDF).