Design by Peter Zumthor

In a small town nestled deep in the Norwegian fjords, Sauda once thrived on the mining industry. To preserve the history of the mine, which closed in 1899, Peter Zumthor designed the Almannajuvet Zinc Mine Museum, which opened in 2016 in the valley where the mine once stood. This museum is only open during the limited period from June to August and consists of a series of buildings spread out, including toilet facilities, a cafe, and a gallery. The stool used in this cafe building is the Allmanna Stool.

This stool is composed of the minimum necessary elements to form a stool: a seat and three legs, all made of solid wood. The seat is crafted with a gently curved shape to cradle the buttocks comfortably, while the legs feature a slender, tapered design. This simple yet warm design enhances the appeal of the stool. The original seat was crafted with intricate joinery in Black Alder wood, but for manufacturing in Japan, solid Zelkova wood was used with minimal joinery to showcase the natural expression of the wood.