Simon Hasan | Hallingdal 65 Bench

Curated by Tord Boontje

This work has its roots in the traditional craft of rope-making and the upholstery technique of Danish cord made popular by the likes of J-L Møller and Hans Wegner.

The Hallingdal fabric has been deconstructed and reinterpreted to magnify the essential elements of yarn and colour. Using 40,000 metres of Hallingdal yarn, London-based designer Simon Hasan has worked with one of the UK’s last remaining roperies to create 1,000 metres of Hallingdal braided rope. This has then been used to upholster a monolithic steel bench.

About Simon Hasan

British designer Simon Hasan has an MA in Product Design from the Royal College of Art. His work is instilled with a richness and texture borne from historical research, and a fascination for obscure craft techniques. He is particularly interested in the convergence between ancient crafts and industrial production processes. Currently, he is developing his own production pieces and working on gallery and bespoke commissions.

The rope’s colours are chosen to complement those found in hot-rolled steel plate, the material which forms the bench’s frame and structure. Staying true to the traditional application of Hallingdal fabric but translating it through an alternative processing of the yarn has allowed Simon Hasan to explore a new expression of Hallingdal’s familiar characteristics.