A Lighter Line: The Palissade Cantilever by Ronan Bouroullec

In the ever-evolving language of outdoor furniture, it is often the most restrained gestures that speak the loudest. With the introduction of the Palissade Cantilever, a familiar silhouette is reimagined through a subtle yet decisive shift—one that distills structure into something lighter, more responsive, and quietly expressive.

This latest addition to HAY’s Palissade collection refines the original’s visual weight into a composition defined by a floating frame and slender geometry. The result is a chair that appears almost suspended in space, its cantilevered form offering not only a distinct aesthetic but also a gentle, intuitive flex. This responsiveness introduces a more relaxed seating experience, softening the industrial clarity that has long defined the collection.

Materiality remains central to its identity. Crafted in either powder-coated steel or hot-dip galvanised finishes, the Palissade Cantilever is designed to endure while maintaining a tactile elegance. Its colour palette integrates seamlessly with the broader Palissade range, reinforcing a cohesive design language that prioritises harmony across environments—from private terraces to expansive hospitality settings.

Behind this evolution is Ronan Bouroullec, the Paris-based designer whose work continues to shape contemporary discourse around form and function. Educated at the École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, Bouroullec’s practice—both independently and in collaboration with his brother—has consistently explored the interplay between simplicity, balance, and precision. His approach resists excess, instead favouring clarity of intent and a sensitivity to how objects inhabit space.

For HAY, his contributions to the Palissade Cord and Cantilever collections reflect an ongoing dialogue between structure and lightness, utility and atmosphere. The Cantilever, in particular, exemplifies this balance: a piece that is at once architectural and inviting, disciplined yet quietly playful.

As a brand, HAY continues to bridge the worlds of workplace, hospitality, and residential design, collaborating with leading creatives to produce objects that bring both order and beauty into everyday settings. In South Africa, these collections are made accessible through Barker Street Furniture, whose presence across Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town supports a wide spectrum of design-driven industries—from corporate and retail to hospitality and beyond.

Within this context, the Palissade Cantilever emerges not as a departure, but as a refinement—a considered progression that demonstrates how even the lightest touch can transform the way we see, and experience, design.