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Souvenier (Giant Chair)
Souvenier (Giant Chair)
颠倒传统的设计
Revolutionizing Conventional Designs
文/魏金顺硕士
Written by Ngai Chin Soon
巨椅设计是从55份参赛作品中脱颖而出的作品，设计者是来自伯乐学院(KDU College Penang)的学生李冠宏（Lee Kuan Hong）。这是一个创新与颠倒传统的设计，巨椅总高度6米（19尺8寸2分），阔度1.5米（4尺11寸），深度2.5米（8尺2寸3分），坐垫高度1.5米（4尺11寸）。师欲善其事，必先利其器。要制造6米高巨椅，必须要有一流师傅才可成事，所以本会找到家具业老字号“联马木器及建筑有限公司”与“永顺木材有限公司”之马光耀与马光荣两兄弟负责。制造巨椅的主要目的是作为槟州家具展览会的广告标志，巨椅的特色主要有以下几点：
As the overall winner out of 55 submissions, the Giant Chair is designed by Mr. Lee Kuan Hong, a KDU student from Penang. The design has revolutionized conventional designs with its height of 6 meters (or 19 foot and 8.2 inch), its width of 1.5 meter (or 4 foot and 11 inches) and its depth of 2.5 meter (or 8 foot and 2.3 inch). The seat height itself is already 1.5 meter (or 4 foot and 11 inches) from the ground. As the saying goes, a great job can only be accomplished by a great master with a great tool, and a 6 meter tall chair would invariably need a world class craftsman such as Mah Kong Yeow and Mah Kong Weng, the 2 brother owners of United Woodwork & Construction (M) Sdn Bhd and Yongshun Timber Co. Ltd. The Giant Chair, meant to be an advertisement logo for the Penang Furniture Show, displays the following major characteristics:
充满时代感与流线形美感
Full of Contemporary and Streamlined Beauty
横看成岭则成峰，远近高低各不同。巨椅的设计很让人惊叹，它颠覆了传统椅子必须要有4支脚的设计，这是一个大胆而又很有创意的设计。从则面看，巨椅从扶手到脚部是以G字型作为设计主体，中间则以弯曲原木配以枋木间隔排列作为脚部而颠覆了传统的设计。除此以外，在每一个接合的地方，凸出边则的透木榫头使得巨椅充满了立体感。最让人惊叹的地方是从脚部直升上高处的6米弯曲形靠背，它充满了时代感，尤其是6米高排列有序的弯曲形靠背，就好像热带雨林正在向来宾献殷情。婀娜多姿的靠背再配上巨椅下部的间隔枋木，使得整张椅子散发出迷人的流线形美感。
The Gigantic Chair, a bold and creative design, is exceptionally breathtaking because it presents different facades at different angles. It has revolutionized conventional designs by simply discarding the 4-leg concept. Its side view presents a G-shaped design from the arm to the leg, which is made up of curved logs interspersed with wooden cubes. Apart from that, the extruding tenon at every joint gives the Gigantic Chair an exceptional 3D effect. The most impressive part is the curvaceous back of the chair, which shoots up 6 meter from the leg, seemingly a bamboo shrub in spring that beckons its master and giving it an impeccable contemporary style that commands absolute awe from the spectators. The curvaceous back, coupled with the interspersing wooden cubes, exhibits a fascinating streamlined beauty.
表现高超工艺
Exceptional Craftsmanship
在制造巨椅中，表现高超工艺有以下4点：首先是制造6米高的靠背，其难度在于要如何确保每一根靠背的弯曲度都一致，以及要做到弯曲度平均、光滑、无刨痕与锤印等缺陷，是一个很大的考验。为了克服这个挑战，马氏兄弟带领了工匠师傅以最新的多层胶合板Glulam（Glu-Lamination）技术完成了这个艰巨的任务。其二，制造巨椅G型边侧扶手也是一个很考验师傅工艺的地方，因为扶手前方并没有木材支撑，它只依赖椅子后方的木材来支撑扶手重量。要如何确保扶手的稳固性，这就很考验工匠师傅的功夫了。由于扶手只有一个接合处，为了要确保扶手的稳固性，制造过程中工匠师傅以暗榫的古老工艺来进行。由于考量到木榫不足于支撑2.5米长的扶手，所以在制造过程中以铁榫代替木榫，并且在铁榫头处用螺丝拧紧，以确保扶手坚固又耐用。其三，要如何稳固6米高的巨椅也是一个很有挑战性的工作，为了稳固巨椅，工匠师傅在安装巨椅时，再次以铁榫来代替木榫，并且在铁榫头处用螺丝拧紧。所有暗榫都会出现沉孔，在填补孔洞时，工匠师傅以古老的透木榫手法来增加美感，透木而出的榫头使得整张椅子充满了立体感。其四，在制造巨椅过程中，工匠师傅完全没有用到铁钉就能使得巨椅稳固，展现了传统工艺的高超技术。
There are 4 parts to the chair that exhibits exceptional craftsmanship. The first part is the curvaceous back, which demands similar curvature and shine from every piece of timber and zero blemishes such as planing and hammering marks. To overcome all these challenges, the Mah Brothers and their team of workers had to use the latest technology of multi-layered plywood known as “Gluelamd” technology. The second challenge is the side arm because it does not have any support. The weight of the arm is supported solely by the back timber. The major challenge is how to keep the arm steadfast and it was solved with an ancient craft known as ‘hidden tenons’. Since wooden tenons are not strong enough to support the 2.5-meter arm, the craftsmen had to use iron tenons instead, which were further reinforced with screws to ensure steadfastness. The third challenge, which is no less demanding than the first two, is how to stabilize the 6-foot tall chair itself, which was again surmounted with iron tenons and screws. All hidden tenons must come with sunk grooves, and the craftsmen had to use the ancient method of tenon extrusion to fill up the grooves and to embellish their work. The extruding tenons would elicit a powerful 3D effect at the same time. The last but not least challenge is that no nails were used in this piece of art at all, without compromising its stability even in the tiniest bit, no doubt a show of exceptional craftsmanship.
热带雨林的春茶木
Spring Tea Wood from Tropical Rainforests
爷督（Nyatoh)。又称为春茶木（闽南语）。爷督产自Sapotaceae族之若干属之浅红及红色木材，但主要为Palaquium属之品种。大致上此木材干燥过程程度平均，而较轻之品种比较重之品种干燥较快。干燥过程中之降级轻微，会有一些端裂坑及其他微小变形，同时边材会受到一些甲虫侵害。木质之结构：边材相当明显，心材为深粉红色或红褐色。木纹通直至浅入交错及有时呈波状。木肌相当幼细至些微粗糙及均匀，这种木纹的韵味能散发出沉稳气质，很适合制造家具。在热带雨林中春茶木属于轻硬木种类，此类木材如护理得宜可耐用百年或以上。由于春茶木有以上优点，所以被选用为制造巨椅的原料。
Some Nyatoh, also known as Spring Tea Wood (in Hokkien), belongs to the Sapotaceae red wood family, but most of it belongs to the Palaquium family. In general Nyatoh wood is quite evenly dried in the drying process, and lighter families tend to dry faster than the heavier ones. The drying process generates very little degrading blemishes, primarily some cracks, small deformities and insect damages. Structurally Nyatoh wood exhibits a clear outer rim and a deep pink or reddish brown inner rim. While most grains are long and straight, some grains might cross over or appear wavy. The wood structure itself ranges from fine to coarse or uniform. Nyatoh wood grain and structure exhibits a unique steadfastness, making it an extremely ideal choice for furniture. Spring Tea Wood is a type of light hard timber among the tropical rainforest variety, and can last over a hundred years when given proper maintenance.