Made in Hackney: Lozi’s armchair is inspired by Dalston’s Rio cinema

Each week, the Gazette takes to the streets to unearth something being manufactured right here in Hackney. This week we visit Lozi’s Hackney Road HQ to find out about their Rio Cinema inspired armchair.

Lozi designer Soroush Pourhashemi has come up with an armchair apparently inspired by the design ethic of the Rio Cinema.

The chairs are on sale in Lozi’s Hackney Road workshop for £645, or £720 with a cushion.

A combination of solid wood and plywood, the idea is to “push the boundaries of plywood by applying it to a lounge chair”.

Marketing manager Leila Vibert-Stokes told the Gazette: “The joint under the chair is made from solid oak with an oak veneer plywood to make that beautiful curve. It’s designed like a lounge chair for a small living room, without taking up all the space. Having lived in small flats in London, Souroush is interested in how you can make beautiful furniture functional.”

Lozi will be donating some of the chairs to Rio’s new basement bar, which will open at the independent Kingsland Road picture house in spring. The team at Lozi will also be building the bar.