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Issued:27/01/12
Chairs designed by a Sheffield Hallam University furniture design student are now sitting proudly at the new headquarters of the BBC, MediaCityUK in Salford.
Chairs designed by a Sheffield Hallam University furniture design student are now sitting proudly at the new headquarters of the BBC, MediaCityUK in Salford.
Samir Skalli, 21, who is doing his MDes in Furniture Design at Sheffield Hallam, won a BBC-sponsored competition for his Busby design.
And around 30 of his high-backed sofa chair are now on display at the BBC's new northern headquarters.
Samir, originally from Hull, said: "Winning the competition proved an insightful and exciting experience for me. Working closely with noughtone and the BBC to develop the concept has been very influential in my understanding of how the design process works in the industry, from sketches to final manufacture."
Keen to support the British design talent of the future, the BBC ran a design competition in partnership with ID:SR and Harrogate-based naughtone, giving design students the chance to create a piece of furniture that would be housed at MediaCityUK.
The brief was for a piece of furniture that could act as a haven for the BBC’s employees in the new open plan work space, suitable for one person to make confidential phone calls from, and with the ability to place two or more pieces together for a more collaborative arrangement.
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Samir's winning product is a high-backed cylindrical chair with a playful, asymmetrical shape. Its confident exterior makes the user feel secure and sheltered, enveloping them in private comfort.
John Bairstow, course Leader for furniture design, said: "It has been a real boost for Samir to have won the competition. The work he did with noughtone which took his concept into production has helped him enormously in his role as a designer. The BBC are also really pleased with the result.
"As a course, we aim to give the work of our students as much exposure as possible to help them with their careers. This is a prime example of the success we have had in doing this over the last few years."
For press information contact: Laurie Harvey on 0114 225 2621 or email laurie.harvey@shu.ac.uk.
