Wooden furniture pieces, banca tres and silla cuatro, interact with space, materiality, and light

A Dialogue Between Space, Materiality and Light

In southern Mexico City, within a double-height concrete house designed by OW Arquitectos, two furniture pieces by Omar Wade, Banca Tres (Bench Three) and Silla Cuatro (Chair Four), investigate the relationship between space, materiality, and light. The residence, characterized by skylights and large windows, provides the setting for this dialogue, framing the interaction of furniture and architecture.

Together, the two wooden pieces present an exploration of scale and construction. Rather than functioning as static objects, they actively engage their surroundings, responding to light, spatial context, and the passage of time.

Bench Three and Chair Four by Omar Wade

Banca Tres combines wood craftsmanship with living elements. Constructed from tzalam wood (120 × 40 × 44 cm), its surface incorporates a circular opening (18 cm in diameter, 25 cm deep) designed to hold a clay planter (17 × 55 cm). The integrated planting element transforms the bench into an evolving object that changes over time, linking furniture with natural growth.

Chair Four, influenced by the Oaxacan coast, employs parota wood sourced from the region. OW arquitectos’ designer Omar Wade conceives the chair as a precise cube (60 × 60 × 60 cm). Its seat and backrest are formed from 3 mm-thick steel sheets with narrow side flanges, joined to wooden legs with stainless steel bolts. The result is a composition that balances rigidity with a degree of visual permeability.