Flex Chair by Madhu Rajan uses single cut for structural intelligence

At ICFF 2025 in New York, Madhu Rajan presented the Flex Chair, a thesis project that features a side chair crafted from a single piece of fibreglass-reinforced nylon, devoid of joints, upholstery, or extra support aside from its four legs. Its design allows for flexibility derived solely from the geometry and thickness of the material, featuring a split in the seat's sides that enables the backrest to shift backward under weight and revert to its original form. Rajan's technique is inspired by paper manipulation, where a single cut facilitates movement without needing additional parts. The chair pays homage to historical designs, including the 1950s fibreglass shell chair by Charles and Ray Eames, Verner Panton's 1960 cantilever chair, and Herman Miller's H-shaped slot shells. While fibreglass-reinforced nylon is stiffer than polypropylene, it can be engineered for predictable flexing at thinner sections, functioning as a living hinge. Rajan's extensive prototyping process allowed the material's properties to be understood through experimentation. The Flex Chair embodies the idea that optimal performance should be subtle, in contrast to the overt and intrusive technologies prevalent in today’s furniture market.