Seating Design | Unkapped

SEATING DESIGN

Kochi Muziris Biennale

LIVE PROJECT

Duration: 2 months

2025

This project was focused on designing seating that suited the Biennale’s heritage spaces while being durable, modular, and comfortable for high visitor movement and long-term use.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Designing a modular and adaptable seating system for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale that responds to heritage spaces, large public footfall, and diverse exhibition needs. The aim was to create seating that is subtle, flexible, reusable, and sustainable while blending into culturally rich environments.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

There was no unified seating system, resulting in inconsistent comfort and poor integration with the Biennale spaces.

RESEARCH OUTLINE

Kochi–Muziris Biennale venues and their architectural character
Heritage materials, textures, and spatial scale
Visitor behavior and seating usage in exhibition spaces
Kochi’s climate and its impact on material durability
Kerala furniture principles and form language
Contemporary gallery seating standards
Biennale branding, typography, and visual identity

INSIGHTS

Bold furniture disrupts heritage spaces and distracts from art.
Complex forms clash with raw, textured architecture.
High footfall causes quick damage to weak structures.
Humidity leads to rust, warping, and material failure.
Fixed seating cannot adapt to changing layouts and venues.
Expressive furniture competes with artworks.
Ignoring local design makes the seating feel out of context.
Lack of visual alignment weakens design identity.

DESIGN CONSIDERATION

Modularity - Flexibility in Use

Allows components to be rearranged for different exhibition needs.

Mass Production & Time Constraints

Standardized components make the seating quick to manufacture in batches.

Collapsible Design - Easy Storage

Folds down to save space and move easily between venues.

Sustainability

Uses eco-friendly materials and long-lasting construction.

Cost Saving

Simple materials and repeatable parts reduce overall production cost.

Visual Neutrality

Minimal design that blends into gallery and heritage environments.

INSPIRATION BOARD

IDEATION

SELECTED CONCEPTS

I chose the Biennale font to carry forward in my design direction because of its striking visual presence and strong identity. The bold, structured lines of the typeface create a clear, cohesive language, and these linear qualities are what I aim to integrate into the overall design, ensuring consistency, flow, and a unified aesthetic across all elements.

DESIGN BREAKDOWN

Testes the stability of the product on a miniature 3D model.

From a complex joint to a simple joining by increasing the size of the module to replace legs.

Exploring different styles for the module.

I first explored moulding for the module, then shifted to ready-made options and found pre-bent right-angle pipes. They were a perfect fit, so I prototyped using metal edges and bamboo poles.

Modules that can be joined in different ways to form a cohesive collection and ensure continuity in design.

PROTOTYPING

The prototyping phase was driven by exploring materials that would be durable, practical, and suitable for Kochi’s coastal climate. I began with MS metal for the module and bamboo for the poles as a low-cost solution. However, bamboo proved difficult to align accurately with the metal module, which affected stability and precision, opening up scope for further iterations.

After identifying the issues with the bamboo and metal prototype, I switched to GI to reduce weight while keeping costs low, and moved to wooden poles to achieve a straighter finish that would simplify assembly. I also made the module pieces detachable to make the overall fixing process easier. This iterative prototyping process helped refine both material selection and construction logic, ensuring the final system is durable, adaptable, and suitable for long-term use in Kochi’s humid and high-traffic environment.

I made my first prototype using MS metal for the module and bamboo for the poles, since bamboo was a low-cost option. But I couldn’t move forward with either material- the bamboo was difficult to align with the module, which opened up space for further design iterations.

CONCLUSION

The final design is well-suited for an event like the Biennale, as it can be reused for at least five editions, significantly reducing the need to produce new seating each year. The structure is made slightly heavier to ensure stability, considering the large annual footfall. It can be fully dismantled, and every component can be replaced in case of damage. The design aligns with the Biennale’s focus on sustainability, its long-lasting materials, reusability, and modular construction allow it to be assembled, disassembled, and even customized whenever required.