Dà Chù : an outdoor bench

Project Description – Bench Inspired by Hexagram 26: “The Great Taming Force”

This bench is conceived as a synthesis of two distinct wood essences, each carrying symbolic and structural roles within the composition.

The first is a full, uncut trunk of scented Lebanese cedar, rough-hewn and partially unfinished, retaining the tactile immediacy and raw presence of its origin. This elemental form is cradled and structurally supported by a trestle in solid teak—or alternatively, mahogany—whose smoother finish contrasts the cedar while still revealing the richness of its grain.

These two components are formally and functionally interdependent: the teak appears to assert a stabilizing force over the spontaneity of the cedar, yet in doing so, it elevates and ennobles it, bringing the trunk into focus, both materially and symbolically. The result is a dynamic of mutual reinforcement—a dialectic between wildness and restraint, nature and design.

The formal genesis of the bench draws from Hexagram 26, “The Great Taming Force,” from the I Ching or Book of Changes, one of the oldest texts of classical Chinese thought. The Hexagram is composed of Heaven (☰) beneath the Mountain (☶)—a configuration that embodies the following layered meanings:

The sky within the mountain evokes the notion of containment and internal strength.
The interaction between Kenn (keeping still) and Kkien (the creative force) suggests a discipline that restrains and channels power.
Ultimately, this restraint transforms into care, nourishment, and cultivated stability.
Within this bench, the raw potential of the cedar is visibly held in tension by the disciplining structure of the teak. Yet, this tension is not oppositional; rather, it manifests as a constructive balance. The teak’s role becomes not just that of a constraint, but of support and enhancement—both physically lifting the cedar and thematically amplifying its presence.

This fusion of elements reflects a broader invitation: a meditation on cooperation, equilibrium, and respect—not only between materials but between human and natural systems. The bench becomes an artefact of relational balance, a spatial metaphor for collaboration.

The lower profile of the bench recalls the form of a passage or suspended bridge, further emphasizing the bench as a threshold—a connector of people, meanings, and materials.

Technical Considerations

The perception of structural simplicity is the result of a precisely engineered interplay between the two wooden elements. The cedar trunk is shaped to receive the trestle through a custom-milled groove, allowing the teak to appear embedded and continuous. The mechanical union is achieved through a 4 cm diameter wooden batten, which transverses both components and is secured by a wooden pin that prevents rotation, ensuring stability without overt mechanical expression.

This project stands at the intersection of material culture, symbolic form, and structural clarity, proposing not just an object for use, but a space for reflection.