Reimagining Waste Through Innovation
More than six decades ago, Italian designer Gio Ponti introduced a groundbreaking chair—the Superleggera, meaning “super light” in Italian. This minimalist yet sturdy design, produced by Cassina since 1957, remains a hallmark of functional elegance. Now, Lothar Windels, a German-born designer and professor at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), has put a fresh spin on this classic by crafting a chair using an unexpected material—rejected Sitka spruce from Steinway & Sons, a company renowned for its high standards in piano craftsmanship.
A Vision Born from a Factory Visit
Windels’ concept took shape in 2011 during a visit to Steinway’s New York factory with his RISD students. Their goal was to explore and design a Steinway Limited Edition grand piano, but as Windels toured the facility, his attention shifted. He was struck by the sheer quality of the Sitka spruce used in Steinway soundboards—wood highly valued for its ability to amplify vibrations and produce exceptional resonance in a piano.
Recognizing that only flawless pieces of spruce make it into Steinway pianos, Windels saw an opportunity. "Half of the Sitka spruce in Steinway’s lumberyard never becomes part of a piano," he noted. Rather than seeing this as waste, he envisioned a way to repurpose this top-tier material into something equally elegant—a lightweight chair inspired by the Superleggera.
Crafting the SuperLeicht Chair
In 2021, Windels began working on his design, which he named the SuperLeicht, meaning “super light” in German. His goal was to make the chair even lighter than the original Superleggera while maintaining strength and durability—qualities essential in both fine furniture and Steinway’s renowned pianos.
Upon reaching out to Steinway’s Director of Operations, Kyle Walters, Windels was met with enthusiasm. "I told him, give me the dimensions you need, and we will find it," Walters recalled, noting that Steinway’s rigorous standards often result in high-quality wood being set aside.
For the SuperLeicht chair’s seat, Windels cut thin 1/8-inch Sitka spruce veneers into strips, layering them to create a flexible yet supportive structure. Unlike its predecessor, this design embraces the natural grain and strength of spruce, giving it a distinct aesthetic and reinforcing its sustainability-driven mission.
A Legacy of Upcycling and Sustainability
Steinway & Sons has a long history of repurposing excess materials for meaningful projects. In 2015, the company collaborated with woodcarver Mike DelPizzo, who crafts handmade urns for veterans. Using sugar pine from Steinway, DelPizzo creates urns that are donated to the Jacksonville National Cemetery and the Missing in America Project, an initiative ensuring unclaimed veterans receive proper burials.
The SuperLeicht chair aligns with Steinway’s broader sustainability efforts, which include:
Energy-efficient manufacturing through solar thermal systems
Recycling programs that minimize material waste
Sourcing wood from responsible forestry initiatives
"We prioritize sustainable practices that reduce waste and preserve natural resources," said Stephen Emmerth, Vice President of Manufacturing at Steinway & Sons.
A Future Beyond the Prototype
While Steinway & Sons won’t be shifting into furniture production, Windels hopes his SuperLeicht concept will inspire others to explore how waste materials can be transformed into functional, beautiful designs. His goal is to partner with manufacturers who can take similar high-quality excess materials and repurpose them into new creations.
"For me, it’s about the process more than the product," Windels explained. "This is bigger than a chair—it’s a commitment to sustainability. Working with Steinway on this project has been incredibly rewarding."
By giving new life to discarded materials, Windels and Steinway have demonstrated how innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand, proving that exceptional craftsmanship never has to go to waste.
Comments