10:05 Lounge Chair is a minimalist lounge chair created by Oslo-based designer Tobias Berg. There’s something arresting about the moment when the 10:05 Lounge Chair first comes into view – the way light catches the precisely cut edges of its aluminum plates, creating a visual tension with the inviting depth of its upholstery. This moment of contrast captures the essence of what makes this piece so compelling: it exists at the intersection of industrial precision and tactile comfort.
The chair’s construction method speaks to a lineage of experimental furniture that emerged in the 1980s and 90s, when designers like Ron Arad and Tom Dixon began exploiting industrial materials and processes for domestic settings. Yet there’s something distinctly contemporary about how the 10:05 resolves these influences. Four aluminum plates, assembled using slotted joints and screws, create an architectural framework that doesn’t hide its mechanical nature but celebrates it.
What elevates this lounge chair beyond pure technical exercise is the thoughtful counterpoint of its upholstery choices. The black corduroy option, with its regular ridges echoing the precision of the metal structure, creates a coherent material dialogue. Meanwhile, the zebra-patterned alternative introduces an element of surprise and playfulness, challenging our expectations of what a chair with such rigorous bones might wear.
The careful balance between visual statement and bodily comfort reflects a growing maturity in contemporary design that moves beyond the false dichotomy of form versus function. The generous cushioning and carefully calibrated seating angle reveal a design process that considered the human body just as seriously as it did material expression or visual impact.
This design methodology brings to mind what furniture designer Ilse Crawford once observed: “Design is not just a visual discipline. It’s about how things feel, how they behave, how they sound. It has to include all the senses.” The 10:05 Lounge Chair embodies this multi-sensory approach, where technical solutions serve human needs rather than merely expressing technical virtuosity.