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Hilla Shamia's Innovative "Wood Casting" Technique

By Rain Noe - June 25, 2012

in Furniture Design

Just when we think we've seen every permutation of common production methods and materials under the sun, someone comes up with a new one. Israeli industrial designer Hilla Shamia's "wood casting" technique involves pouring molten aluminum directly onto dead tree trunks. The surface of the word gets burned, as you'd imagine, and the molten metal flows into the cracks, "completing" the voids in the wood with a shinier surrogate.

The wood is then machined into a rectilinear shape, rendering them into the topmost surfaces of stools and endtables. It's not clear if the legs are also machined afterwards, or formed directly into their final shape during the initial casting; that's the secret sauce, we guess.

Those of you with a sensitive affinity for wood probably cringe a bit at the burning part, I know I did. But Shamia knows what she's doing and understands the role of artifice: "The negative factor of burnt wood is transformed into aesthetic and emotional value by preservation of the natural form of the tree trunk, within explicit boundaries," she writes. "The general, squared form intensifies the artificial feeling, and at the same time keeps the memory of the material."

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Jojo

12 years ago

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I think the very similar concept "Blitz.k11" from another Israeli, Shy Bernstein, takes better care of the integrity of the wood (http://www.core77.com/blog/salone_milan/salone_milan_2012_bezalel_academys_design_bonanza_at_ventura_lambrate_22432.asp)
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lulu

12 years ago

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The steel attached to the weakest parts of the wood. With further consideration, it might break the wood. I just don't trust this "chair". Anyway, it looks cool.
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Devin

12 years ago

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Wow. This is beautiful wrapped in awesome.
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Sean

12 years ago

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I guess the aluminium would be 'attached' by drilling holes into the wood perhaps? If these are at an angle to each other, the aluminium would solidify in the holes, forming pegs into the wood that hold it in place. 5 hours later and it's still an amazing piece of work
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@PushingGiants

12 years ago

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Every so often a work of amazing design will leave me speechless. THIS is one.

Simply beautiful.
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Jeff Bianco

12 years ago

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The secret sauce confuses me as well. Are the legs attached only by their connection to the interior fills and the "grabbing of the exterior"?
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devans00

12 years ago

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A twist on the concept of "organic". I like very much
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Sean

12 years ago

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Sweet Jesus that's beautiful. It almost looks topographical, or like the wood has an aluminium infection. Very very beautiful
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