Philipp Aduatz´ intention in the design of the Melting Chairis to capture a transienttransformation within a sculptural object.TheMelting Chair, which is suitable for use,is carefully crafted to appear to the viewer either as a solid chair melting away or as a solidification of a liquid melt. Usually, materials can be observed in certain aggregate phases: they can be solid, fluid or gaseous, but not at the same time. Only during phase transitions the borders between these phases become blurred.This moment of change seems utterly fragile and filled with fascinating possibilities at the same time. Aduatz main goal in the design of the Melting Chair was to hold on to this fleetingmomentand phrase his fascination for it into a usable object.
To create a realistic illusion,Aduatz studied the solidification of fluids as well as the melting of solids with modern 3D animation software.With this background, he designed the surface of the object downto the smallest detail - like an architect plans a huge skyscraper. Through form studies with CNC milled polystyrene models and rapid prototyping he ensured a perfect geometry. The final object is made out of a fiberglass reinforced polymer, a light and strong composite material that is very durable. The surface is coated with a special mirror coating for a metallic appearance. A special clear lacquer is used to protect the mirror coating from aging and makes the surface of the Melting Chair scratch resistant.
