Modern Sugan Chair

by Samantha Goyette

The Súgán chair; a simple piece of furniture that became a national token in Irish culture used for hundreds of years. Made of local materials, with little waste in the creation, the Súgán chair could be easily crafted for the everyday Irish family. With its ultimately simplistic design, the Súgán chair was used for all-class families in Ireland.

During the Celtic Tiger in Ireland, the economy was thriving and society acted by attempting to create a more progressive, and modern well-being, but in doing so, failed drastically. With little consideration of the long-term effects that this movement could have, and only a few years later, the effects came back to haunt Irish life. In a throw-away society, designers become more focused on creating sustainable products that are recyclable, reusable, and have a long lifespan. This is seen as progressive, and innovative but is not always the case. In this piece, I have created my own version of a Súgán chair, that represents the failure during Celtic Tiger Ireland and in progressive design.