SOM’s Dancing Line, a chaise prototype commissioned by the Formica Corporation, is made from plywood substrate finished with the company’s famous white plastic laminate. A microdot surface texture on the seat prevents slippage, while the unorthodox geometry of the lounger demonstrates the material’s flexibility. The Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center included SOM’s design in the exhibition “FORM: Contemporary Architects at Play,” an overview of ten international leaders in the field.

Project Facts

Completion Year: 2008

Project Awards

2008 • American Society of Interior Designers - Illinois Chapter • Design Excellence Award: Furnishings Category, First Place
2008 • Spark Awards • Furniture & Outdoor: Residential Category, Silver Award

Formica Corporation of America approached the SOM Interiors Group to develop a seating element prototype to be shown as part of a group exhibit at Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, Ohio entitled “FORM: Contemporary Architects at Play.” The Dancing Line was one of the ten commissioned designs by ten international leaders in the field. All pieces were eventually auctioned off to benefit the education and exhibition programming at the CAC.

One requirement for the seating element was that the piece be fabricated using a Formica product. SOM selected white plastic laminate since it is the most recognizable Formica product. The designer investigated the malleable, plastic properties of the material, choosing to express its flexibility by creating an object that explores a series of different radiuses. Since laminate is a finishing material, SOM opted to show its true nature by cladding only the top and bottom surfaces of the lounger, leaving the core substrate, which is made out of plywood, exposed. As a result, the Formica lounger design fully expresses the plastic capabilities of the Formica material.

The microdot texture of the Formica surface prevents slippage on the seat of the lounger, improving the piece’s functionality. The white surface directly explores shade and shadow. Light helps to accentuate the power of the object’s unorthodox geometry.