The finished piece comprises three benches in the brand’s tell-tale traditionally joined, spindle-back language. The trio converges in the centre and rises into the air, twisting as it does so with a wink into the impossible. Unveiled for the first time at 100% Design South Africa in Johannesburg, the Preservation Bench won “Best Furniture Design” at the show. Today, the piece can be seen at the new Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria, where it is in use as a functional piece of furniture in the main entrance lobby.

Merely a few months after the inauguration of the piece in Johannesburg, Dubai Design Week saw the debut of its indoor counterpart - being identical in every way except material. Made of American white oak, the piece was more representative of Houtlander’s traditional range of American white oak furniture. The second edition of the Preservation Bench could be seen at Downtown Editions in November 2019 and it remains on display in Dubai Design District today.