TORI Contemporary Low Stool in Sand Cast Aluminium by Ries

This edition is, on the one hand, our first experience in cast aluminum and on the other hand –we hope– the beginning of an extensive material exploration on this design.

This piece was cast using the lost mold method with low density expanded polystyrene. The front profile of the piece is drawn and carved on various EPS plates, which are then stacked and glued together, resulting in the mold of the piece in real scale (1: 1). Lastly, the mold is buried in a compressed mixture of sand, earth and coal, and the molten aluminum is cast at a temperature of 700 C. This action causes the expanded polystyrene to be dissolved by the molten aluminum and occupy the volume where it was buried. Once the aluminum has solidified, the final piece is unearthed, revealing on its surface the texture of the lost mold.

Each Tori stool is a unique piece. This item was designed and is made in Buenos Aires, Argentina.