Toronto's Lubo Design - The Intersection of Architecture And Furniture

“Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.” ^{– Albert Einstein.}

This quote is the perfect way to introduce you to Lubo Brezina, a talented multidisciplinary furniture maker based out of the city of Toronto.

One of the most interesting things about Lubo is that he is not just a woodworker, but also a former architect turned furniture designer.

I often like to note the close similarities between different forms of design, from architecture, to furniture, and even graphic design. What all these disciplines have in common is that they share basic principles and elements of design, such as form, composition, contrast, and function.

The work of Lubo Design is a fascinating case study example of what furniture looks like when approached through the lens of an architect.

This is best illustrated with his piece called ‘Chair With Roof’, which as the title suggests, is a chair with a roof. It’s fun to see architecture and furniture intersect in such a whimsical way. The roof was added to increase the ‘coziness’ aspect of the chair, and the chair itself was stripped of its upholstery to reveal the natural wood of the structure. This is a beautifully creative piece that is outside the box of what most could conceive of, yet it makes sense and is perfectly well-functioning.

Construction projects are viewed by architects as a set of functions and utilities enclosed within a structure. As long as these utilities are met with the project design, and the purpose of the building is functional and accessible, the physical form which it takes can be as simple or as sculptural as the imagination can make it, while still meeting the functional requirements.

If we apply this mindset, furniture has a simple and straightforward function, with a limitless potential to be artistic and sculptural in its form, which seems to be the direction Lubo Brezina has taken with his work.

‘The Animal’ – made from cherry wood – is described by Lubo as a bench, but also a spine-stretching apparatus. The Animal itself is made to look like an organic vague-looking human shape, held up by four curved appendages, and arching its back as if it itself is stretching its spine. The sculptural quality of this piece which is also suggestive of its function is brilliant.

Finally, it would be a disservice to Lubo Brezina to not mention his handmade masks. Brezina is a true creative through and through, which means his work spans the entire spectrum of functional furniture to decorative sculpture and statement pieces. In this case, a series of handmade hockey goalie masks. Inspired by Japanese theatre tradition, these masks are the overlapping intersection between Canadian sport and the fascinating cultural heritage of the Far East. My personal favourite is the Toronto Maple Leafs mask, featuring the iconic blue leaf coloured over an Oni-type mask.