Zipper Bench

rendering showing various uses for the Zipper Bench pieces: bench (overhang or downward), table base (upward), horizontal wall-mounted shelf, vertical shelf with glass inserts, storage console with drawers

Simple forms can make some of the most interesting, versatile, and functional objects. This idea inspired the design for the Zipper Bench. The combination of its slender profile and minimalist geometry allows the bench to be playfully rotated, stacked, re-imagined as a table base, a shelf, or something else. The planes that form the bench are connected with two “zipper” joints, a series of interlocking finger joints which together resemble a zipper. Using principles similar to those of Japanese joinery, the solid wood slats – the “fingers” in the joints – are milled to mechanically interlock, making the joints extremely strong. The repetitive nature of the joints makes it possible to design a bench of any length, and lends itself to efficient fabrication. The bench is made entirely of ash wood, utilizing the wood’s natural strength and elasticity, in combination with unique joinery, to make the slim profile of the Zipper Bench possible.