Forma gives Axis Chair a monolithic aluminium shell and soft leather interior
The Axis Chair by Forma is a limited-edition armchair designed and handmade in England, combining a heavy architectural silhouette with a softer upholstered interior. Developed as the first piece in Forma’s wider furniture collection, the Axis Chair looks back to the experimental confidence of 1970s and 1980s design. Broad planes, hard geometry and a substantial profile give it a strong architectural presence intended to define the room around it.
Its form draws from Brutalist architecture, with a composition built around weight, proportion and clearly articulated surfaces. The aluminium exterior gives the chair a rigid shell and a strong visual presence, while the interior is upholstered in soft Italian bovine leather, creating a deliberate contrast between hardness and comfort. This opposition between the two materials became the starting point for the design, with each selected for both its tactile qualities and the way it responds to the other.
Despite its solid appearance, the Axis Chair incorporates a full 360-degree swivel that introduces movement into the object and allows its orientation to shift within a room. The rotating base changes how the chair relates to surrounding furniture, views and circulation, adding a practical function without altering the clarity of its overall silhouette. In this way, the design balances visual permanence with a degree of flexibility in everyday use.
Forma developed the chair with longevity in mind, focusing on material quality, construction and durability rather than short-term trends. The aluminium shell and leather upholstery reinforce that approach through materials chosen to age visibly and remain integral to the character of the object over time. The emphasis is placed on making the chair feel specific without tying it too closely to a single moment or aesthetic cycle.
The Axis Chair also establishes the direction of Forma as an independent design studio interested in furniture and objects defined by architectural form, material integrity and permanence. Rather than applying one visual formula across a collection, the studio approaches each piece as an individual investigation into form, material and use, with a particular interest in objects that resist being read as products of a specific period.
Produced in an edition of 100, the Axis Chair serves as the starting point for Forma’s ongoing series and sets the tone for the studio’s future work through its combination of structure, tactility and durability. By bringing together a rigid aluminium exterior, soft leather interior and rotating base, the chair presents a clear study in contrast while maintaining the sense of solidity that defines its overall character.
All images courtesy of Forma, shared with permission
