Gemini Acoustic Chaise

Conveying the relationship of twins in the womb through material properties and their spatial arrangement, Gemini is a two-part chaise lounge. The cocoon-like structure cushions the body within a colored, multi-material 3D printed cocoon, replicating the tranquillity of the womb. A solid wood shell house provides the protective exterior. Lining Gemini from the inside are 44 composite PolyJet digital material combinations in varying shades of transparent and opaque yellows and oranges. The 3D printed ‘skin’ not only targets specific pressure points on the body to form a sensorial landscape, but also creates a unique vibrational acoustic effect for a quiet calming environment, invoking the prenatal experience of the fetus.

Gemini features separate, independent parts that together form an enclosure: Gemini Alpha and Gemini Beta. They are inspired by the mythical relationship between the Dioskouri twins, Castor, born of man (named Gemini Beta after the star in the Northern constellation of Gemini) and Pollux born divine (named Gemini Alpha after the second brightest star in the constellation of Gemini). The creation fundamentally explores the complex and contradictory relationship between twins, which is mirrored in the geometrical forms of the two-part chaise and the dualities that drive their formation, such as the combination of natural and synthetic materials.

Designed by Neri Oxman in collaboration with Professor W Craig Carter and Professor Tod Machover in collaboration with Stratasys.

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Printer: Objet500 Connex3

Materials: TangoPlus, VeroYellow and VeroMagent