Orwell Sofa (model) thumbnail 1
Orwell Sofa (model) thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at Young V&A
Play Gallery, Mini Museum, Case 14

Orwell Sofa (model)

Model Sofa
1996 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Scale models play an important part in the design development process because they can be produced much more easily and cost effectively than full-sized prototypes. Matthew Hilton designed the Orwell Sofa for SCP in 1996. He made a fibreglass mould for a 1:5 scale model of the sofa, to illustrate its shape and proportions. This model is a cast from that mould, coloured blue with spray paint to suggest the upholstered finished version. The model is inscribed 'Hilton Orwell SCP 02.96', indicating the date of February 1996 when it was made.

Born in 1957, British furniture designer Matthew Hilton studied at Portsmouth College of Art and then studied 3D design at Kingston University. He set up Matthew Hilton Studio in 1984. One of his best known works was the iconic Balzac Chair (1991); he was elected a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in 2005.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleOrwell Sofa (model) (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Fibreglass and filler, spray-painted blue, wooden front legs
Brief description
Model sofa, 1:5 scale model of the Orwell Sofa, designed by Matthew Hilton for SCP, fibreglass and wood, 1996
Physical description
A 1:5 scale model of a three seater sofa with curved back and arms made from fibreglass and spray painted blue with wooden legs.
Dimensions
  • Height: 66cm
  • Width: 78cm
  • Depth: 76cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • '5' (Written by hand in black pen on base.)
  • 'Hilton Orwell SCP 02.96' (Written by hand in black pen on base.)
Credit line
Given by Matthew Hilton
Subject depicted
Summary
Scale models play an important part in the design development process because they can be produced much more easily and cost effectively than full-sized prototypes. Matthew Hilton designed the Orwell Sofa for SCP in 1996. He made a fibreglass mould for a 1:5 scale model of the sofa, to illustrate its shape and proportions. This model is a cast from that mould, coloured blue with spray paint to suggest the upholstered finished version. The model is inscribed 'Hilton Orwell SCP 02.96', indicating the date of February 1996 when it was made.

Born in 1957, British furniture designer Matthew Hilton studied at Portsmouth College of Art and then studied 3D design at Kingston University. He set up Matthew Hilton Studio in 1984. One of his best known works was the iconic Balzac Chair (1991); he was elected a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in 2005.
Collection
Accession number
W.21-2005

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdAugust 12, 2005
Record URL
Download as: JSON