Project Overview

• Designer: Eric Klarenbeek 
• Collaborators: Scientists from Wageningen University, the Netherlands 
• Exhibition: Dutch Design Week 2013, Eindhoven, Netherlands 
• Series: Living Mycelium Project 

Dutch designer Eric Klarenbeek created the Mycelium Chair as one of the first pieces of furniture “grown” from living fungi.

The project was developed with researchers from Wageningen University, placing design within a framework of bio-material experimentation and living systems research. It merges digital fabrication with biological growth, proposing a new way of producing objects that are both ecological and alive.

Material & Fabrication Process

1. 3D Printing Structure 
   • The chair’s skeleton is 3D-printed from corn-based bioplastic, forming a lightweight, hollow lattice. 
2. Filling with Living Material 
   • The inner cavity is packed with a blend of straw powder, water, and mycelium (fungal roots). 
   • Once sealed, the mycelium begins to grow, binding the straw together and naturally reinforcing the structure. 
3. Growth & Finishing 
   • During growth, small mushrooms may sprout on the surface—turning production into a living aesthetic event. 

After several days, the piece is dried to stop biological activity and stabilize the form.