Futurecity were appointed by Berkeley Homes to develop, curate and manage public realm art commissions for Wye Dene, a new development in High Wycombe. ‘Masterclasses in Sitting’ is a 3 part project lead by Andreas Lang from the art and architecture practice public works. The project culminated in a specially designed, temporary chair arch for the new Wye Dene development in Wycombe Marsh.
public works designed three different chairs, all CNC cut and assembled through public construction workshops held on site. Once assembled these chairs interlocked using simple timber dowel and bolt fixings to be configured into an celebratory Chair Arch (the motif of High Wycombe). Once completed the arch remained for two weeks before the being disassembled and the chairs distributed amongst the volunteers who built them. With no additional infrastructure required to form the arch it is entirely possible for the chairs to be arched again by the volunteers and residents themselves.
‘The Last Chair Arch’ was Inspired by High Wycombe’s rich history as a centre for furniture production and was a temporary public art piece which stood between furniture, architecture and art. ‘The Last Chair Arch’ was developed in collaboration with residents, furniture makers and design students from Bucks New University, pupils from Princes Risborough High School and public participants. It could not have been delivered without the generous support of research facility Grimsdyke Farm and engineers Price and Myers.
