Toy Chair by Philippe Starck, 1999

• Designed By - Philppe Starck
• When - 1999
• Made From - Polypropylene
• Manufactured By - Driade
• More Info - This is a simple stacking armchair and can stack up to 14 high. This chair is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and comes in a variety of colours. Cotton covers and seat cushions for the chair are available as well. There is also a matching table: the Toy Table.

Merry Christmas !

GJ Chair by Grete Jalk, 1963

• Designed By - Grete Jalk
• When - 1963
• Made From - Laminated plywood
• Manufactured by - Lange Production
• More Info - This chair is regarded as the best and is certainly the most famous piece by Grete Jalk. It won first prize in a competition organized by the British newspaper Daily Mail. It is a very sculptural chair and has a very interesting shape. It is made form only two pieces of moulded plywood and is very complex to produce. He was inspired by the bent plywood chairs by Alvar Alto and Charles Eames but with this chair he decided to be even more adventurous with this method of making. The chair is available in teak, Oregon pine and black stained ash wood. A was designed with a matching table: the GJ Nesting Table.

Butterfly Chair by Antonio Bonet, Jorge Ferrari Hardoy and Juan Kurchan, 1938

• Designed By - Antonio Bonet, Jorge Ferrari Hardoy and Juan Kurchan
• When - 1938
• Made From - Painted tubular steel and canvas
• Manufactured By - Artek, then Knoll since 1947
• More Info - This chair is also known as the BFK Chair (after the designers last names), Sling Chair or Hardoy Chair. It is in the collection at MoMA. It is very lightweight and suitable for use inside and out. The seat is fitted onto the frame using pockets and can easily be taken off  to be washed or replaced. It is available with a canvas or leather seat. Canvas seats are available in 12 colours.

Ant Chair by Arne Jacobsen, 1952

• Designed By - Arne Jacobsen
• When - 1952
• Made From - Steel pipe and laminated wood
• Manufactured By - Fritz Hansen
• More Info - This was Jacobsen's first stacking chair and one of his best-known designs.  It is available in either natural wood veneer or colours in lacquer or lazur. At first most people were sceptical about it because it only had three legs and no arms. Despite it being very minimal it is actually very comfortable. It was originally designed for use in the canteen of the Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk.  It was designed to be light, stable and easy to stack up. The Ant Chair can refer to model 3100 which has three legs, or model 3101 which has four, that was added in 1980.

Barcelona Chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, 1929

• Designed By - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich
• When - 1929
• Made From -  Flat steel bars and leather
• Manufactured By - Knoll
• More Info - This chair, sometimes referred to as the Pavilion chair, was originally designed to provide seating for the King and Queen of Spain at Barcelona’s 1929 World’s fair.  Today it is an iconic luxury piece of furniture and is a must have piece for wealthy architects, designers and important buildings and is most often seen in the lobbies of large multinationals. It even got the Museum of Modern Art Award in 1977. It has an X-frame made from two flat steel bars which was inspired by Ancient Egyptian thrones. The original upholstery was white, black and tan tufted leather. There is a matching ottoman and sofa versions of it have recently been made.

Bouloum Lounge Chair by Olivier Mourgue, 1969

• Designed By - Olivier Mourgue
• When - 1969
• Made From - Tubular steel frame and urethane foam
• Manufactured by - (from 1978) by Arconas Corporation
• More Info - This chair is extremely comfortable. It has such an anthropomorphic form and is in the perfect lounging position. It is both practical and playful. It was named after a childhood friend of Mourgue. It is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It is available in a range of colours.

Lattenstuhl Armchair by Marcel Breuer, 1922

• Designed By - Marcel Breuer
• When - 1922
• Made From - Oak with wool upholstery
• Manufactured By - Bauhaus Cabinet Workshop
• More Info - This chair, sometimes called the slatted chair, was designed by Breuer while he was at the Bauhaus. He wanted to create a chair using minimal materials and cost and this is his solution. The design was also based was based on Breuer’s anatomical research to support the heaviest bones of the human body in maximum comfort. It was first exhibited at the Kunstammlungen, Weimar in 1922. The fabric was produced in the Weaving Workshop at the Bauhaus. It is clearly influenced by the style of De Stijl and the work of Gerrit Rietveld.

Platner Easy Chair by Warren Platner, 1966

• Designed By - Warren Platner
• When -1966
• Made From - Steel wire rod, moulded fibreglass shell and moulded latex foam cushion
• Manufactured By - Knoll
• More Info - This chair is part of the Platner Collection which includes tables, an ottoman, a stool, the Platner Lounge Chair and Platner Armchair. The pieces are created by welding hundreds of curved, nickel-plated steel rods to circular frames. It is available upholstered in a range of fabrics in many colours.

Brno Armchair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, 1929

• Designed By - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich
• When - 1929
• Made From - Hardwood seat from, foam, flat bar steel frame and leather upholstery
• Manufactured By - Knoll
• More Info - It was designed as a dining chair for Fritz and Grete Tugendhat’s house in Brno, Czech Republic which was being designed by Mies Van Der Rohe. It’s clean lines and stylish, smart look make it one of the most refined of all cantilever chair designs and is a 20th Century icon. It’s model number is MR50 and it is expensive to make. The chair was selected by Dan Cruickshank as one of his 80 man-made treasures in the 2005 BBC series, Around the World in 80 treasures. There are two versions of this chair, one made with flat and one made with tubular steel and is available in a chrome or stainless steel finish. It is available upholstered in a number of different colours of leather and the arms are available with or without matching arm pads.

F978 Lounge Chair by Geoffrey Harcourt, 1968

• Designed By - Geoffrey Harcourt
• When - 1968
• Made From - Foam and leather upholstered polyurethane shell, polished aluminium base
• Manufactured By - Artifort
• More Info - This chair was quite futuristic when it was designed but is now a bit retro. Artifort reintroduced it in 2006, with a slight modification to the base. The base is available in white and black and the  upholstery in many different fabrics and red, black, blue, white, brown or cream leather.

Organic Highback Chair by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, 1940

• Designed By - Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen
• When - 1940
• Made From - Laminated seat shell, polyurethane upholstery, stained black beech legs
• Manufactured By - Vitra
• More Info - This chair, and a lower-backed version (the Organic Chair), were designed for the ‘Organic Design in Home Furnishings’ competition held by the Museum of Modern Art. It was designed as a reading chair and has a long backrest which is slightly tilted backwards and shaped for comfort and relaxing. The upholstery is available in 8 different colours.

DSR by Charles and Ray Eames, 1948

• Designed By - Charles and Ray Eames
• When - 1948
• Made From - Fibreglass, chrome legs
• Manufactured By - Vitra
• More Info - The initials stand for Dining Side Rod. It has ‘Eiffel Tower’ style legs which meant it was given the nickname ‘the Eiffel Chair’. It is available in many colours. It was reissued by Vitra in 1993 and the new version is made from polypropylene because it is easier to recycle . It one MoMA’s ‘Low Cost Design’ competition.

Ribbon Chair by Pierre Paulin, 1966

• Designed By - Pierre Paulin
• When - 1966
• Made From - Tubular steel, upholstery and lacquered wood
• Manufactured By - Artifort
• More Info - This sculptural got it’s name because it looks like a piece of curved ribbon and it is now a modern classic. Pierre Poulin said "A chair should be more than simply functional. It should be friendly, fun and colourful" and the Ribbon Chair is certainly friendly, fun and colourful, as well as comfortable and stylish. It has a bold sinuous shaped seat which is contrasted well with a rectangular metal base. The chair won an AIA award and is exhibited in the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. There is a matching ottoman. It is available in many different colours and patterns of fabric.

B3 Club Chair (Wassily Chair) by Marcel Breuer, 1925

• Designed By - Marcel Breuer
• When - 1925
• Made From - Bars of chrome plated tubular steel and strips of black leather
• Manufactured By - Thonet
• More Info - This is the best and most well-known example of Breuer’s revolutionary tubular steel furniture. It is a re-working of the traditional club chair so it was originally called the B3 Club Chair but then later become known as the Wassily chair after the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky gave the design his approval. It was the first ever chair to have a bent steel frame and was inspired by the curved tubular steel handle bars on Breuer’s ‘Adler’ bicycle. The prototypes were produced with the help of a plumber to do the welding. He had to use steel tubes that did not have a seam so that they did not break when bent. The strips of fabric are carefully arranged so the body never comes into contact with the cold metal. Breuer said ‘when I saw the completion of my steel chair, I thought that of all my  works, this would  attract the most criticism. It is the most extreme in its outward appearance and material expression; it is the least artistic, the most logical, the most ‘liveable’, the most machine-like. What happened was the opposite of what I expected’. It is now one of the most famous 20th century chairs and is a modernistic icon. The Wassily Chair is a timeless design and is still in production now. It looks functional and stylish and is often seen in offices and showrooms.

Peacock Chair by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1921

• Designed By - Frank Lloyd Wright
• When - 1921
• Made From - Oak frame and oil cloth upholstery
• Manufactured By - An unknown Japanese Company
• More Info - Designed for the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo which Lloyd Wright was the architect for. The hexagon shapes on this chair are also seen on the ceilings, walls and even a coffee set also designed by Lloyd Wright for the building. The Hotel was demolished in 1968.

Hanging Egg Chair by Nanna Ditzel, 1959

• Designed By - Nanna Ditzel
• When - 1959
• Made From - Lacquered steel frame, stainless steel chain, woven wicker and a fabric covered foam cushion
• Manufactured By - Pierantonio Bonacina
• More Info - Sometimes known as just the Hanging Chair, this iconic chair was designed for Italian furniture makers Pierantonio Bonacina. The chair is now available in a man-made fibre making it suitable for outdoor use. There are also ones that have a steel stand rather than being attached to the ceiling. The seat cushion is available in six colours.

Dr Glob by Philippe Starck, 1988

• Designed By - Philippe Starck
• When - 1988
• Made From - Polypropylene and epoxipolyester powder coated steel
• Manufactured By - Kartell
• More Info - The contrast between styles and thickness on the front and back of this chair that is it’s defining feature. This chair is stackable and can be used indoors and outdoors. It sis available in black or silver. There is also a bar stool version: the Hi-Glob.

Zig Zag Chair by Gerrit Reitveld

• Designed By - Gerrit Rietveld
• When - 1934
• Made From - Elmwood
• Manufactured By - Utrecht, then Cassina from 1971
• More Info - Rietveld wanted to make a chair from one piece of material but this wasn’t possible at the time so the chair had to be made from four pieces. It is not particularly comfortable but it’s simplicity and beauty are what make it a great chair. Later examples were painted white with green or red edges. The back is joined to the seat with a dovetail joint. It is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. It is available in natural ash or cherry wood as well as stained in red, blue, yellow, white and black.

Wiggle Side Chair by Frank Gehry, 1972

• Designed By - Frank Gehry
• When - 1972
• Made From - Corrugated cardboard, edges made from hardboard
• Manufactured By - Vitra
• More Info - This chair is part of the ‘Easy Edges’ collection by Frank Gehry. It is made by gluing together lots of die cut sheets of corrugated cardboard in alternate directions, creating a material similar to plywood which he called ‘Edge Board’. It has a very tactile surface and the fat lazy curves give it a pleasing appearance. The sloped seat and high back make it comfortable and it is actually very strong. When it was designed it was instantly popular but Gehry stopped production to concentrate on his architecture because he didn’t want to become more known as a furniture designer than an architect. It is made of a very cheap material and was designed to be mass produced but it quite expensive to buy now. It is available with natural, white, orange and green coloured edges. 

LC4 Lounge Chair by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand, 1928

• Designed By - Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand
• When - 1928
• Made From - Sling seat, metal frame
• Manufactured By - Originally by Thonet, Cassina from 1965
• More Info - This is a very elegant but modern chaise lounge which is shaped to fit the human body making it very ergonomic and comfortable. It was shown at the Salon d’Automne in Paris in 1929 and is now included in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It is Le Corbusier’s most famous and successful design. He nicknamed it the ‘relaxing machine. It is available covered in leather, canvas pony skin or fabric.

Zigo Chair by Ron Arad, 1993

• Designed By - Ron Arad
• When - 1993
• Made From - Stainless steel and wicker
• Manufactured By - Driade
• More Info - This chair’s thin steel tubes and slender seat look like one continuous curvy form. It’s lack of traditional sturdy arms and legs gives it a light, minimal and contemporary look. This chair is stackable up to 4 chairs.

Model 60 Stool by Alvar Aalto, 1932

• Designed By - Alvar Aalto
• When - 1932
• Made From - Solid birch
• Manufactured By - Artek
• More Info - This 3-legged stacking stool was designed for the Viipuri Library it is now on permanent collection at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. When it is stacked the legs create  a nice pattern. It is often also used as a side table. It extremely simple and functional but still very ascetically pleasing. The seat is availed in lots of colours options and even upholstered. The legs come in natural and black and there is also a four legged version.

Pony Chair by Eero Aarnio, 1973

• Designed By - Eero Aarnio
• When - 1973
• Made From - Foam and fabric
• Manufactured By - Adelta
• More Info - The Pony looks like a large toy  but is not intended to be a toy. It is designed for adults to adult dimensions. It is available in every colour of the rainbow. It is shown in many design galleries and museums including London's Victoria & Albert Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It has also been featured in films, television, music videos and advertising worldwide. It is an extremely  iconic and fun piece of furniture.

Swan Chair by Arne Jacobsen, 1958

• Designed By - Arne Jacobsen
• When - 1958
• Made From - Moulded fibreglass seat shell, foam and wool upholstery, steel and aluminium base
• Manufactured By - Fritz Hansen
• More Info - This chair was originally designed for the lobby of the Royal SAS Hotel in Copenhagen. It was technologically innovative for the time, as there were no straight lines. The swivel base consists of a satin-polished, welded steel tube and a 4-star base in injection moulded aluminium. It has been in constant production since it was first designed as it is a very popular and timeless piece. It's soft curves and organic form make it very appealing and although looking great on it's own it looks best in groups. It was originally designed as a side chair but a higher version for use at tables is now available. . It is also available upholstered in leather, vinyl or fabric. There is also a sofa version of this chair.

Hello!

Hello and welcome to 20th Century Chair Of The Week where I will be posting information about a different chair that was designed in the 20th century every week. Enjoy !