Uhuru Design Turned Coney Island Boardwalk Planks Into a Rollercoaster Chair
When Coney Island was torn up in 2010 to make way for the glitzy new Luna Park, a part of its history was ripped out: the weathered, decades-old planks of the beach’s iconic boardwalk. Luckily, two Red Hook-based designers — Jason Horvath and Bill Hilgendorf of Uhuru Design — took in the landfill-destined wood and used them to build functional pieces for the home.
Bringing out the wood’s natural color and texture was no easy task — the planks had taken quite a beating since they were first installed in the 1940s — but underneath all those years of footsteps, bubble gum, and nails were stunning orange and red-tinged slabs ready for a second life.
Known for transforming salvaged materials like bourbon barrels and torn-down beams into cool furniture, Horvath and Hilgendorf drew from the wood’s origins for their designs. The Cyclone Lounger pays homage to the amusement park’s most popular and thrilling ride with both its name and structure — alternating planks of light and dark Ipe wood were set on a curvy, laser-cut base to mimic the rollercoaster’s up-and-down tracks.
The limited-edition collection, which includes a Wonder Wheel table and boardwalk-inspired console — are no longer available, but one is currently owned by the Smithsonian and will hopefully go on display sometime in the future.
Images courtesy of Uhuru Design
