A tool for creation for Sawaya & Moroni
Snøhetta has created an object that facilitates craftsmanship and creation, spurring the imagination of the user. An object that becomes the heart of any room, a place to gather around to embark on small tasks to larger projects. A minimal design to stand out and evoke creations.
When approached by Sawaya & Moroni, a design company focused on architects’ furniture, known for their story-driven, high-quality, limited-edition designs, Snøhetta decided to create something reminiscent from our collective past – a tool for creation. The result is the Sløyd Bench – the Norwegian term for a woodworking bench.
In the Nordic countries, pupils from 9-15 years of age have been taught woodworking in school through the Sløyd educational system since its establishment in the 1860’s. The Sløyd bench has been one of the most important tools for developing practical skills and express cultural and aesthetic values in the Nordic countries. This knowledge is passed on to every generation and remains a foundation for Scandinavian design.
The pared-down design is built in solid oak wood treated with beeswax. More than a fixed piece of furniture, it is a functional tool intended to be used. The Sløyd bench features two clamps placed on either end, and American standard bench pups to fix larger workpieces, as well as a tool well – a carved out area to keep tools handy, with an integrated tray that can be flipped in order to have a larger work surface.
In its historical context, a Sløyd bench is also a symbol of democratic design – an object which is available to the public, an object that can be shared, both physically and intellectually. The Sløyd bench for Sawaya & Moroni is a celebration of this heritage.
