Horm Stories #29
Today, we want to talk about inspiration, connections, and brilliant ideas.
In the world of sports, the ice of hockey has always represented a stage of extraordinary intensity and dedication. Behind the scenes of this captivating spectacle lie small behaviors and curiosities that rarely come to light. One of these is a peculiar habit adopted by hockey players when they have to sit on chairs instead of the usual backless benches. In these cases, they sit backward, leaning their chest, stomach, and arms against the backrest rather than their back. The hockey gear is very bulky, making it difficult to sit neatly on a standard chair. Sitting backward can prove more practical and comfortable given their protective attire.
This unusual way of sitting inspired Italian architect Marcello Pozzi, based in Los Angeles, in the creation of a special seating project for the headquarters of a major American hockey team: we’re talking about Pablita, an unconventional chair now part of Horm’s collection.
The genesis of the idea is curious: the desire to propose a chair that would be comfortable both ways sparked a creative process that, after countless prototypes and experiments, led to the design of a three-legged chair with a “suspended” seat—light in appearance but solid in form and materials.
Pablita is composed of three solid ash wood legs, connected by a leather seat and a carbon element that provides structural stability. The rear leg extends into a “bull horn” backrest. It is precisely this unusual feature that gives Pablita its name. Pozzi, a passionate lover of art, wanted to establish a connection between the chair’s unique shape and one of the greatest painters of the last century, whose work is linked to the world of bullfighting: the legendary Pablo Picasso.
Once again, Horm demonstrates that nothing is “by chance” and that the starting point for creating a design product is always inspiration—a strong, original idea without which even the most beautiful and meticulously crafted design could never become truly timeless.
