Childsply, 1999
Childsply, 1999
The Childsply exhibition was conceived by twentytwentyone to highlight the quality of design for children's furniture.
Twelve designers were invited to develop original designs for use by children. The project brief given to each designer was as follows: "to provide a design for an item of furniture suitable for the requirements of a child aged between one and six years of age."
The designers invited to participate were Shin and Tomoko Azumi, Sebastian Bergne, Barber & Osgerby, Nick Crosbie of Inflate, Robin Day, Matthew Hilton, James Irvine, JAM, Michael Marriot, Michael Sodeau, Andrew Stafford, and Michael Young.
The charitable project was supported by Isokon Plus, who constructed each design from a single sheet of standard 8 x 4 birch plywood. The brief stipulated that no moulding of the wood was permitted, although bending without the use of equipment or machinery was allowed.
Left: The Oreo folding table by Shin and Tomoko Azumi, Climbing frame by Matthew Hilton, a stepped storage trolley unit by Michael Marriot and Box Bench by James Irvine
Left: Desk and chair by Michael Sodeau, the Hula stool by Barber & Osgerby, Alphabetti Biscotti by Andrew Stafford and Chair by Michael Young.
The exhibition closed with an auction at which all designs were sold and all money raised was donated to the Children’s Hope Foundation. Several designs went into production following the event, the Hula stool by Barber & Osgerby continues to be made by Cappellini.
The British Council commissioned a second edition of the entire exhibition and Childply subsequently toured the world.
