Giona Bierens de Haan designs spiked furniture informed by Ceiba tree

Swiss architect Giona Bierens de Haan has reinterpreted the spiked bark of the South American Ceiba tree to create a furniture collection as part of a collaborative exhibition in Geneva.

The Ceiba series, which comprises two shelves, a table and four chairs, incorporates the conical thorns that the tree is known for into its designs.

The idea for the collection came from Bierens de Haan's first encounter with the Ceiba tree on the streets of Buenos Aires.

"The tree's striking expressiveness captivated me so completely that I stood in front of it mesmerised," Bierens de Haan told Dezeen. "Years later, when a close friend working at the Geneva Botanical Garden asked me to design a shelf, the memory of that unforgettable tree resurfaced – and the Ceiba collection was born."

Bierens de Haan approached the design with the intent of "blurring the boundaries between sculpture and functionality". Each furniture piece has an organic form that is kept deliberately simple.

"The design needed to be as pure and elemental as possible – almost like the direct translation of a child's drawing," he explained.

Infused with humour and a cartoon-like quality, the collection can be arranged into a cohesive formation resembling a "spiky bush".

"I appreciate how the pieces stand with an awkward charm, as if clumsily trying to conform to the conventions of traditional furniture but never fully succeeding," Bierens de Haan said.

Each piece was crafted from oak and finished in a water-based paint that preserves the material's natural texture, adding tactility to their bold forms.

Made in natural oak, green oak and black oak, each finish was chosen to complement the others while evoking different emotions.

As part of the exhibition, Bierens de Haan partnered with Swiss-Argentinian ceramist Ángeles Rodríguez to create Sombra, a complementary collection of black sandstone ceramics. This collaboration was the result of the designer's desire for a more engaging presentation.

"I wanted something beyond a typical furniture exhibition, which can easily become monotonous," Bierens de Haan said. "Rodríguez's pieces add an enchanting, irrational layer of meaning to the entire exhibition."

Like the furniture it accompanies, the ceramic pieces mimic the spiky texture of the Ceiba tree bark. The collections come together to engage in a dialogue of shared materiality and form.

Despite the sculptural qualities of the series, the furniture pieces were designed to be functional.

"While the Ceiba series disrupts monotonous interiors and challenges the predictability of conventional furniture, I chose to focus on familiar forms because I wanted these designs to be accessible for everyday use," Bierens de Haan said.

Based in Geneva, Bierens de Haan founded his eponymous studio in 2018. His previous works include the renovation of a 1960s mountain chalet located in Zinal, Switzerland.

The photography is by Dylan Perrenoud. 

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