This low Traverse bench, referenced by HAY as "Bench 114," does not have the seat height of a dining chair: it is an occasional bench, at coffee table height, for placing a tray or sitting for a moment.Ash and aluminumBench: backrest/seat in oiled heat-treated solid ash, die-cast aluminum frame: ...
This low Traverse bench, referenced by HAY as "Bench 114," does not have the seat height of a dining chair: it is an occasional bench, at coffee table height, for placing a tray or sitting for a moment.
Ash and aluminum
Bench: backrest/seat in oiled heat-treated solid ash, die-cast aluminum frame: "die-cast aluminium frame with slatted seat in heat-treated ash," according to the HAY spec sheet.
Heat-treated ash, designed for the outdoors
Traverse combines a die-cast aluminum frame with slats of solid ash that have been heat-treated and then oiled. Rolf Hay, co-founder of the brand, explains this choice: "Teak wood and other rainforest woods are excellent for outdoor use, but it is not necessarily a responsible material choice. Believe it or not, this is actually ash wood, which normally has a lighter colour, but by heating it, it turns brown, drawing out weatherproof qualities and allowing the furniture to better withstand the outdoors." Erwan Bouroullec describes how the collection ages: "You could leave it anywhere and it will age very nicely : Traverse will enjoy the rain and the sun, and step by step it will start to melt into the space."
Traverse is delivered as a kit, for self-assembly: "Traverse is meant to be built by the person who is acquiring it; people will create an emotional link to the object that they produce, and later, use," according to Bouroullec. Rolf Hay adds, regarding the price of the collection: "In the end, we have relatively expensive materials here. But by producing efficiently, we can keep the range democratically priced."
