Hemp Chair by Werner Aisslinger

In collaboration with chemical company BASF, German designer Werner Aisslinger has created the Hemp Chair. Inspired by a technique used by the automotive industry, the manufacturing of the chair uses water-based compression moulding to form an eco-friendly, lightweight, yet strong material.

Based on monobloc chairs traditionally made from plastics, Aisslinger’s Hemp Chair is a modern eco-friendly alternative designed for lightweight manufacturing and sustainable production. Renewable fibres hemp and kenaf make up over 70% of the composite, with BASF’s water-based acrylic resin used as a binder. Unlike the production of plastic chairs, the only by-product of producing the Hemp Chair is water.

Today’s consumers are searching for a well-balanced and healthy lifestyle. The low cost of production made possible by compression moulding paired with the environmentally friendly materials make the Hemp Chair an appealing alternative, marking a turning point in the trend towards sustainability.

The chair debuted in May at the Material Vision Exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany.