Story-telling chairs designed by students (From Oxford Mail)

Story-telling chairs designed by students

STRANGE story-telling seating has been dreamed up by students for a museum set to become one of Oxford’s leading attractions.

Henry McNeil, Steph Phelan and Dika Lim with their hinged chair, the Transforchaiselongue

Oxford Brookes University architecture students have been designing furniture for The Story Museum in Pembroke Street. The 73 students visited the dilapidated Rochester House building and then created the designs.

The were presented to representatives at the museum on Friday and some of them may even become reality.

Story Museum spokesman Cath Nightingale said: “They were asked to design seating for those listening to, and telling, stories.

“They’re designing for the activity of listening, telling and experiencing a story in a space simultaneously real and imagined.

“Children will stand, sit, jump, lie down, roll about, run around and more.

“They’ll use props, including the student’s fabrication, to tell the story.”

Story Museum co-director Tish Francis said: “The designs were fantastic – we were surprised and delighted. The quality was amazing.

“One of them involved the seating hanging from the ceilings intertwined with stories.

“We are talking to one of the tutors now about some of them and we might look at a few of them in the future.”

Senior lecturer Colin Priest said: “This is the student’s very first project and they’ve really embraced the idea of story and this building.

“I’ve been very impressed with their enthusiasm, commitment and imagination.”