This project is featured as part of the D5 Digital Design Week: AI & Sustainability. To learn more, click here.
Furniture design doesn’t always have to be about just practicality or aesthetics—it can be a way to stir emotions and tell stories. Demeter Fogarasi, a Budapest-based designer with a design-engineer background, creates pieces that evoke feelings while being functional. His approach to furniture blurs the lines between art and usability, where objects are more than just something to sit on—they become poetic experiences. One of his standout pieces, Frozen Textile, embodies this concept beautifully, offering a fresh take on sustainable design while tapping into the emotional power of art.
This experimental armchair, crafted from biodegradable composites, speaks to both the environment and the human experience, making furniture more than just a design choice but an emotional connection.
The name Frozen Textile itself speaks to the innovation behind the design. The fabric used for the armchair is treated in a way that “freezes” it at the moment of creation. This process simultaneously captures a sense of fluidity and rigidity, resulting in a fabric that appears to be caught in motion—like wind captured in a still image. The chair’s seat dips in as if it’s been gently molded by an invisible presence, creating a sense of invitation and intimacy. The rest of the fabric ripples above and around the chair, extending outward like the aftermath of a breeze, adding to the piece’s ethereal quality.
This artistic approach to the chair’s materiality is more than just visually striking; it speaks to the emotional connection that Fogarasi believes is essential in design. By focusing on the beauty of imperfection and the fleeting nature of time, Frozen Textile invites viewers to consider the emotional narratives behind everyday objects, transforming a simple chair into a profound piece of art.
Using biodegradable composite material takes center stage as a statement of environmental responsibility. Unlike conventional materials, which may take decades or centuries to decompose, biodegradable composites break down more quickly, minimizing their environmental impact. This sustainable approach aligns with the growing demand for greener, more eco-conscious furniture in today’s design world. Rather than relying on trendy, disposable materials, Fogarasi’s design highlights the permanence of natural beauty, preserved for generations to come.
Frozen Textile is an object that stands between two worlds: art and function. A poetic narrative may inspire the chair’s form, but it also serves a practical purpose. The design explores how furniture can transcend its role as mere utility, becoming an emotional experience for the user. It embodies the beauty of nature and the importance of sustainability while still offering a functional and comfortable seating experience.
“The idea was to create a furniture piece concerned with the poetic nature of the material used. While molding the seat, the originally soft material becomes rigid. I wanted to save the moment of creation, when a sheet is blown onto the frame, forming a chair.”
“Design has always been a part of me in some way, yet I have never felt it this close. I like to think of furniture as sort of jewels assigning life to spaces. Each one of them has their own story to tell, in a way they inhabit interiors, where their actual meaning is driven by the spectator. With my work I aim to invoke the curiosity of one’s inner child.“
Size: 100x110x110 cm
Material: Biocomposite + Metal
Year: 2015
Photography: Balazs Mate, Mihaly Demeczky
Partners: Planbureau, pt.bme.hu, MOME, Meshlin