WHYTE CHAIR

The WHYTE Chair is named after William Whyte, who was a pioneering advocate for public spaces and regarded movable furniture as crucial to a successful park setting. The WHYTE Chair celebrates his legacy with an additional twist that aims to bring people together through play. The subtle arrangement of the rear legs, and the discreetly placed donor plate, create a regulation size croquet hoop. Six chairs can easily be arranged to make a traditional court. The sport of croquet is a fun, yet strategic, grass game that is perfect for the new Battery Green. Players can either bring their own mallots and balls or, perhaps, the Battery Conservancy could provide or rent sets out to participants.

When not in play, the WHYTE Chair further relates to its context with its mesh patterning. The pattern is derived from the algorithmically arranged leaves of Yoshino Cherry trees, which will be planted in the Battery Green. Through CNC milling, the pattern will be cone-drilled through sheet metal and be cut to fit the chair’s steel tube frame. Laser cutting the aforementioned is also a feasible option. By changing the orientation and region of the pattern during fabrication, the process allows a uniquely variant configuration of the leaf pattern to be welded to each chair. The holes in the WHYTE Chair permit sunlight to reach the grass when the chair is, albeit rarely, not in use. A dappled shadow of cherry leaves and one blossom will pattern the grass throughout the sunlit day.

The painted, white metal frame and sheet steel composition of the WHYTE Chair create an elegant, yet economical, design that is ideal for a low batch run. The chair can be locally fabricated and, if necessary, recycled. The chair is designed to be lifted easily through the stacking aperture in the seat. With one hand lifting the chair, the chair is balanced on its center-of-gravity.

Most importantly, the WHYTE Chair is a comfortable design that affords a more casual sitting position with a height surround that is ideal for reading the New York Times or, perhaps, for a more social aspect-- a round of croquet. Just bring your Whites.