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Stories by Hydro

A passion for metals

Renowned designer Tom Dixon found his passion for metal at the scrap yard as a young man. Now he is creating a chair out of a single piece of aluminium.

Tom Dixon OBE is a British designer who started his career as an art school dropout and bass player in a funk band. It wasn’t until he began welding to fix his motorbike that he found his true passion, creating furniture from salvaged metal. 

Today he has become one of Britain’s most successful designers, with his works showcased by renowned museums all over the world. His work can be found in the Victoria & Albert Museum, Museums of Modern Art New York and Tokyo and Centre Beaubourg in Paris.  

His true accomplishment lies in his ability to challenge the conventions of the industry. No surprise then, that he decided to join forces with the world’s leading producer of sustainable aluminium, Hydro. The question was: what would he make from a metal that can become anything? The answer was the simplest, and maybe the most difficult form of all. He decided to make a chair.  

“I’ve always liked metal just in general. Aluminium is non-corrosive, light. What can I say? I think it feels quite precious. For a designer, it’s always really interesting to see new potential in a traditional material.”
– Tom Dixon 
 

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