Estudi{H}ac designs the Casta armchair for Sancal

A piece inspired by a castanet.

Designer José Manuel Ferrero, founder of multidisciplinary design studio Estudi{H}ac, recently unveiled his Casta armchair, designed for the contemporary, upholstered furniture manufacturer Sancal.

Casta is inspired by that typically Spanish musical instrument – the castanet. Available in black, light grey and brown, the chair fuses what looks like two halves of a castanet and the movement of hands as they make it clack. It looks simple, thanks to its technologically advanced upholstery which provides total support, eliminating any need for elastic or webbing. The fabric’s strength lies in its mesh-like structure. The chair’s upholstery fits snugly around the frame and, as befits any chair designed for relaxing, incorporates two comfortable cushions. The frame is made of matt, lacquered metal with an unusual, rough texture.

Contrasting with this – and bringing warmth to the piece – are the chair’s armrests in smooth ash. Gently touching the latter instantly recalls the feel of castanets.

Founded by Ferrero in 2003, Estudi{H}ac is predominantly an industrial and interior design studio. For the past two years, it has collaborated with Toyota in Japan on the interior design of its IQ concept car. Involvement in the automotive industry aside, Estudi{H}ac’s homeware range is expanding fast with projects undertaken for such firms as L’Antic Colonial of the Porcelanosa Group, Vondom and Point. Casta is the second collaborative project between Sancal and Estudi{H}ac – the first was the successful seating range called Tea.

This year, Sancal has launched various new collections of upholstered sofas, armchairs and small tables, including its Elephant pouffes designed by the company Nadadora.