- Designed By - De Pas, D’Urbino, Lomazzi and Scolari
- When -
1967
- Made From - Welded
vinyl
- Manufactured By - Zanotta
- More Info - This
is humours chair is utterly iconic and timeless. It challenged the idea that
furniture is a solid, permanent feature in a home as this can be easily
deflated and put away. It was designed to be reasonably cheap, disposable and
fun. It is light enough to be used in a swimming pool. It was the first
inflatable chair to be mass produced and even though there have been many
copies and other versions designed but this one is still the best. It is part
of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The
original comes in clear, yellow or red.
- Designed By -
Robin Day
- When -
1963
- Made From - Polypropylene
and tubular steel
- Manufactured By - Hille
- More Info - Also
known as the Polyprop chair, this was the
first chair to be made from injection-moulded polypropylene (invented in 1953).
It has been widely copied because it is such a brilliant design. It is cheap,
light, reliable, stackable, easy to clean and robust. They are especially popular
in schools. Robin Day launched the chair by sending 600 free ones to
architects, designers and journalists. Now over 14 million have been sold in 23
countries around the world. It is available in many colours. It is so iconic it
was featured on the ‘British Design Classics’ stamp series. There is also an
armchair and upholstered version. It is available in 5 different sizes and
loads of colours.
- Designed By - Josef
Hoffmann
- When - 1905
- Made From - Bent beech wood, turned wood, plywood and
brass
- Manufactured By - Jacob & Josef Kohn
- More Info -
This chair is believed to be
inspired by an adjustable chair designed in the 1860s by the English arts and crafts architect Philip Webb. It’s name meaning ‘a
machine for sitting’ shows what Hoffmann was trying to achieve with this chair. He wanted to move away
from mechanised products that he regarded as inhuman and so used a simple more
decorative method of adjusting the chair. The five ball shapes along the back
of the curved bentwood form allow the sitter to adjust the angle of the back,
giving five options. These balls seen throughout the chair and the square
patterns are a big characteristic of Hoffmann’s chairs. Reclining chairs like
this were often used by people to pulmonary tuberculosis.
This chair was
presented at the Vienna Art Show in 1908. The chair was produced until 1916. An example of
this chair is shown in the Museum of Modern Art. A small number were produced with a pull out footrest
and cushions were also available.
- Designed By -
Hans J. Wegner
- When -
1960
- Made From -
Italian leather and tubular steel
- Manufactured By - AP-stolen
- More Info -
Like many other pieces of Hans J. Wegner’s furniture the Ox Chair was ahead of
its time when it was made but is now it is regarded as a modern classic. It is
a very powerful masculine chair and was Wegner’s favourite in his home. The
dramatic ‘horns’ support the head and the angle of the seat means the sitter
has to relax. It was designed to be roomy and inviting. It is one of his more
playful designs and he said ‘we must take care that everything doesn’t get so
dreadfully serious.’ It represents Wegner’s change in style because before he
concentrated on more traditional wood pieces.
- Designed By - Yrjö
Kukkapuro
- When -
1964
- Made From - Fibreglass,
steel, foam and leather
- Manufactured By - Avarte
- More Info - An
iconic Finnish design, this chair both swivels and rocks. It is said that the
shape of the chair came from the imprint left in the snow that Kukkapuro made
from sleeping in the snow after getting too drunk. It was named the world's
most comfortable armchair by The New York Times. It is shown in the permanent
collections of many museums all over the world. It is available in black,
cream, tan, red, white and brown leather and there is a matching footstool.
