Graduate designs chair that transforms into coffin

Coffin chair aims to promote China’s efforts to preserve burial space whilst respecting coffin ritual

Spotted: Coffin chair, designed by London-based industrial design graduate Yeyang Liao,  serves as a piece of furniture in which the owner can later be cremated. Traditional coffins contain metal components, preventing them from being cremated.  Coffin chair is made entirely from wood, so it can be cremated. The idea is to appease the Chinese ritual of preparing one’s own coffin whilst promoting the Green Funeral movement. 

In 2018, the Chinese government implemented the “Green Funeral” policy to support greater efficiency of land space. The movement involves a transition from burials to cremation. However, burials represent an important aspect of Chinese tradition. Many people purchase their coffin in advance and keep it at home, which is a ritual for long life.

“The coffin chair is designed for elders who want to prepare their funeral, it can be pulled out to be a coffin when the owner is dead. The spring structure not only has the function of extension, but also has the symbolic meaning of a long life,”  said Liao.