RED BLUE CHAIR YEAR: 1918 DESIGNER: GERRIT RIETVELD Material: painted wood Dimensions: 86.7 x 66 cm x 83.

8 cm x 33 cm (h)

In the Red Blue Chair, Rietveld manipulated rectilinear volumes and examined the interaction of vertical and horizontal planes, much as he did in his architecture. Although the chair was originally designed in 1918, its color scheme of primary colors (red, yellow, blue) plus blackso closely associated with the de Stijl group and its most famous theorist and practitioner Piet Mondrianwas applied to it around 1923. Hoping that much of his furniture would eventually be mass-produced rather than handcrafted, Rietveld aimed for simplicity in construction. The pieces of wood that comprise the Red Blue Chair are in the standard lumber sizes readily available at the time.

http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=4044

Hoge stoel high back chair YEAR: 1919 DESIGNER: GERRIT RIETVELD Material: painted wood Dimensions: 91.4 x 64.8 x 61cm

The "Hoge stoel" appeared in print for the first time in the Dutch journal, "de Stijl," no. 12, 1920 as part of a decor designed by Theo van Doesburg in 1919. The same chair was later placed by Rietveld in a clinic at Maarssen (1920), but without the two original side panels. This particular model was said to have been shown at the seminal Bauhaus exhibitions of 1923, but most scholars today believe that though it had been promised for the show it was never sent. In any case, there are many analogies which may be drawn between de Stijl philosophies and the basic tenets of the Bauhaus movement. The chair's form has many affinities with Russian Constructivism also, characterized by planar elements seemingly floating in space.

http://www.artsconnected.org/resource/97011/hogestoel-highback-chairgallery-label-current

Schroeder end table YEAR: 1923 DESIGNER: GERRIT RIETVELD Material: painted wood Dimensions:60 x 51.8 x 50.2 cm The End Table comprised of a blue square top and red circular base and were connected by a black and a white rectangle. It was designed for the Schroder House in Utrech. It was made of simple components and was an open form. The End Table comprised of a blue square top and red circular base and were connected by a black and a white rectangle. It was designed for the Schroder House in Utrech. It was made of simple components and was an open form.

http://www.modernfurnituredesigners.interiordezine.com/items/itemgerritre itveldendtable.html

Wassily chair YEAR: 1925 DESIGNER: marcel breuer Material: CHROME-PLATED TUBULAR STEEL AND CANVAS Dimensions: 71.8 x 78.1 x 71.1 cm While teaching at the Bauhaus, Breuer often rode a bicycle, a pastime that led him to what is perhaps the single most important innovation in furniture design in the twentieth century: the use of tubular steel. Breuer reasoned that if it could be bent into handlebars, it could be bent into furniture forms. The model for this chair is the traditional overstuffed club chair; yet all that remains is its mere outline, an elegant composition traced in gleaming steel. The canvas seat, back, and arms seem to float in space. The body of the sitter does not touch the steel framework. The chair became known as the "Wassily" after the painter Kandinsky, Breuer's friend and fellow Bauhaus instructor, who praised the design when it was first produced.

http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=2851

MODEL NO. S33 YEAR: 1926 DESIGNER: MART STAM Material: LACQUERED, CAST TUBULAR STEEL FRAME, INTERNALLY REINFORCED WITH METAL RODS, FABRIC SEAT AND BACK This chair started life when the Dutch architect and designer Martinus Adrianus Stam, known as Mart, started playing with bits of gas piping. Using 10 straight pieces of pipe linked with 10 plumbers corner-joints, he made the first cantilever chair. Stam was beaten to the punch, however: in the two years it took him to refine his gas-pipe concept into a marketable product, rival architects Marcel Breuer and Le Corbusier also came up with cantilever chairs. Stam came to be recognised as the originator of the idea and today you can buy iconic chairs by all three and plenty of others who played around with metal tubing during the fertile period of interwar modernism.

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article452075. ece Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Mart Stam. 1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (p. 106). Cologne: Taschen gmbh.

MODEL NO. B33 YEAR: 1927-1928 DESIGNER: MARCEL BREUER Material: Chrome-plated tubular steel with steel-thread seat and back DIMENSIONS: 83.7 x 49 x 64.5 cm

Unlike Stams S33, Marcel Breuers model no. B33 chair utilise non-reinforced tubular steel, which gives the construction greater resilience and more comfort. This design eliminates visual division between the base and seat by using a continuous supporting frame.

http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=122197
Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Marcel Breuer. 1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (pp. 108109). Cologne: Taschen gmbh.

Weissenhof chair (mr20) YEAR: 1927 DESIGNER: LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE Material: NICKEL-PLATED BENT TUBULAR STEEL FRAME AND STRETCHER WITH WOVEN CANE SEAT AND BACK

Influenced by Marcel Breuer's use of tubular steel, Mies van der Rohe quickly recognised the compatibility of this revolutionary material with the contemporary design ethos. Inspired by the lines of tubular iron rockers designed in Europe during the mid-19th century, Mies incorporated a new material and a new technology in the use of the cantilever principle. Mies van der Rohe used the springiness of tubular steel (cantilever) as an element in the chair's construction and designed the first free-swinger in the history of design.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=215f85a135181da45 6ae031564f8409c

MODEL NO. MR 10 YEAR: 1927 DESIGNER: LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE Material: chrome-PLATED BENT TUBULAR STEEL FRAME AND STRETCHER with eisengarn textile seat and back Throughout the 1920s the German architect Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) collaborated with the interior designer Lilly Reich (1885-1947) on the development of furniture for his architectural projects. By the mid-1920s they, like other progressive designers, were fascinated by the possibilities of tubular metal. Mies and Reich were intrigued by the cantilever chair, which they saw as the acme of modernity offering the comfort of a conventional armchair without the bourgeois associations of upholstery. By 1927, they had developed the textile-seated MR10 and caneseated MR20. Both chairs were exhibited at the 1927 Die Wohnung exhibition of modern living at the Weissenhof Settlement in Stuttgart.

Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe. 1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (p. 113). Cologne: Taschen gmbh. http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1920s

Transat chair YEAR: 1927 DESIGNER: eileen gray Material: black-lacquered wood with nickel steel fittings, the hinged padded back and seat with blue green fabric upholstery
The name Fauteuil Transat that appears in the portfolio dedicated to the project, E-1027 Maison en Bord de Mer, underlines the maritime inspiration for this is a sophisticated re-interpretation of that most functionalist of designs, the classic deck-chair.

http://www.chairblog.eu/2011/03/24/transat-lounge-chair-by-eileen-gray1879-1976/

Adjustable Table E 1027 YEAR: 1927 DESIGNER: eileen gray Material: chromium-plated steel tubing. Top of crystal glass clear, parsol grey or metal black.

Among the classics this is perhaps the classic. Its ingeniously proportioned, distinctive form has made this heightadjustable table into one of the most popular design icons of the 20th century. It is named after the summer house E 1027, Maison en bord de mer, that Eileen Gray built for herself and for her collaborator, Jean Badovici.

http://www.classicon.com/classicon,Side_Tables,Adjustable_Table_E_1027,e n,9,9.html

Cesca chair YEAR: 1928 DESIGNER: Marcel breuer Material: chrome-plated tubular steel frames with stained bentwood and woven cane seats and backs

Michael Breuers 1928 Cesca chair combined traditional craftsmanship with industrial materials and methods. It is the quintessential office/ dining chair and can adapt to virtually any environment.

http://www.knoll.com/products/brochures/CescaChair.pdf

Basculant Chair (b301) YEAR: 1928 DESIGNER: Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand Material: CHROMED BENT TUBULAR STEEL FRAME, CALFSKIN SEAT AND BACK WITH SLUNG LEATHER ARMS

Also known as the "Colonial Chair", Le Corbusier's Basculant Chair's elegant lines and tilted seat provide plenty of leg support while pushing the boundries of design. By Le Corbusier's admission, the Basculant chair shifted from a humble utilitarian design to functional art.

http://www.pgmod.com/156-le-corbusier-lc1-basculant-chair.html

GRAND CONFORT YEAR: 1928 DESIGNER: Le Corbusier , pierre jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand Material: CHROMED BENT TUBULAR steel frame with leatherupholstered cushions

This chair epitomizes the International style. Originally created for the 1929 Salon dAutomne, they were an integral part of a collection of interior equipment demonstrating a new luxury and style in tubular steel. A wide choice of leather upholsteries in both quality and colour means there is even greater flexibility to this classic design. The steel frame is chromed and the attention to detail projects the luxury intended.

http://www.thisisfurniture.com/product_details.php?product_id=371&subca tegory_id=126

Chaise lounge (B306) YEAR: 1928 DESIGNER: Le Corbusier , pierre jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand Material: Chrome plated tubular steel frame on black enameled base with leather upholstered cushions The "chaise longue rglage continu" also known asB306 was presented at the "Salone d'Automne" in Paris in 1929 as part of the "Equipement interieur d'une habitation (Interior equipment of a room)". It is constituted by two independent elements: the base and the cradle (seat or rest). The cradle the form follows the curve of the human body appears to move on its base and it can slide without any mechanisms, with a continual gliding that allows for any angle and it remains stable thanks to the friction of steel and the rubber covering the crosspieces of the base. Le Corbusier defined it as the "true resting machine" and mentioned having thought of a cowboy while designing, smoking his pipe, sitting with his feet up, supported on the edge of the fireplace.
http://www.classicdesignitalia.com/COLLEZIONE/LeCorbusier/c0606p/tabid/ 171/Default.aspx

Siege tournant Swivel chair (model 302) YEAR: 1928-1929 DESIGNER: Le Corbusier , pierre jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand Material: CHROMED BENT TUBULAR steel frame with leatherupholstered seat and back rail Inspired by a simple office chair, this swivel chair was designed for use at a desk or dining table. Under Le Corbusiers supervision, Charlotte Periand transformed the utilitarian form by upholstering the seat and back in luxurious leather. She envisaged the back as providing a solid comfortable cushion to rest against like automobile tyres.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1920s

Barcelona chair (mr 90) YEAR: 1929 DESIGNER: ludwig mies van der rohe Material: bent chromed flat steel frame with leather straps and leather-buttoned upholstered cushions
Seen from the side, the single curve of the bar forming the chair's back and front legs crosses the S-curve of the bar forming the seat and back legs, making an intersection of the two. This simple shape derives from a long history of precedents, from ancient Egyptian folding stools to nineteenth-century neoclassical seating. Mies van der Rohe designed this chair for his German Pavilion at the Barcelona Exposition of 1929.

http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=4369

Brno chair (mr 50) YEAR: 1929-1930 DESIGNER: ludwig mies van der rohe Material: bent chromed flat steel frame with upholstered wood seating section

The Brno chair (model number MR50) is a modernist cantilever chair designed for the bedroom of the Tugendhat House in Brno, Czech Republic. The Brno 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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brno_chair Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. 1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (pp. 115). Cologne: Taschen gmbh.

tugendhat chair (mr 70) YEAR: 1929-1930 DESIGNER: ludwig mies van der rohe Material: bent chromed flat steel frame, tubular steel connecting spring, buttoned leather-covered upholstered seat and back sections

In appearance, the Tugendhat chair is somewhat of a hybrid of Mies van der Rohe's 1929 Barcelona chair and 19291930 Brno chair. Like the Barcelona chair, the Tugendhat chair has a large padded leather seat and back, supported by leather straps mounted on a steel frame and legs. However, like one variant of the Brno chair, the frame is flat solid steel, formed under into a C-shape under the seat to create a cantilever. Versions exist with or without leatherpadded steel arms. The metal was originally polished stainless steel; modern examples are often chrome-plated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tugendhat_chair Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. 1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (pp. 117). Cologne: Taschen gmbh.

paimio chair (no. 41) YEAR: 1930-1931 DESIGNER: alvar aalto Material: bent laminated and solid birch frame with lacquered bent plywood seat section

When Alvar Aalto won the commission to design the Paimio Sanatorium in the late 1920s, he approached the project as if he was a patient. No detail escaped him: from the meticulously planned lay-out of the building and canary yellow paint on the stairs with which he hoped to cheer up the patients, to the robust, comfortable furniture made from Finnish birch. Aalto experimented with plywood for three years to develop a chair which would ease the breathing of tuberculosis patients and succeeded in producing the first pliant chair to be built without a rigid framework.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1930s

Cantilevered chair no. 31 YEAR: 1933 DESIGNER: alvar aalto Material: bent laminated and solid birch frame with lacquered bent plywood seat section

This chair has a more subtle curved form than the Armchair 41 but just as comfortable. The frame was thicker from the front of the seat down as there was more stress on the frame there. Alvar Alto constructed the frame with 7 layers of lamination and less for the arms and back as they required less reinforcement.

http://www.modernfurnituredesigners.interiordezine.com/items/itemalvaraa ltono31chair.html

Viipuri stacking stools (model no. 60) YEAR: 1932-1933 DESIGNER: alvar aalto Material: bent laminated birch construction

Originally designed for the Viipuri Library, these stools caused a sensation when they were exhibited in 1933 with Aaltos Paimio Chair at Fortnum & Mason department store in London. Aaltos practical, stackable stools have since been in constant use particularly in public buildings such as schools and libraries.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1930s Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Alvar Alto. 1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (pp. 164). Cologne: Taschen gmbh.

Zigzag chair YEAR: 1932-1934 DESIGNER: gerrit rietveld Material: oak construction with brass fittings Rietvelds early work with wood reinforced his later role as a radical designer, architect and member of the avant garde De Stijl movement. It gave him the technical expertise to put some of De Stijls principles into practice, notably by realising its zest for oblique diagonal lines in this cantilevered Zig-Zag chair.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1930s Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Gerrit Rietveld. 1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (pp. 157). Cologne: Taschen gmbh.

Standard chair YEAR: 1934 DESIGNER: jean prouve Materials: painted bent tubular steel and steel frame with lacquered moulded plywood seat and back, rubber feet Prouve's inventive move from tubular steel, innovated by the Bauhaus movement, into the use of bent pressed and compressed sheet metal, for its strength meant that the chair frame is extremely strong whilst continuing to look lightweight.

http://www.modernfurnituredesigners.interiordezine.com/items/itemjeanpro uvestandardchair.html Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Jean Prouve. 1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (pp. 142). Cologne: Taschen gmbh.

CRATE YEAR: 1934 DESIGNER: gerrit rietveld Materials: RED SPRUCE CONSTRUCTION
Intended for use in holiday homes, the Crate reflects the growing enthusiasm of its designer, the visionary architect Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964) for rudimentary construction during the 1930s. Like its predecessor, the Zig-Zag Chair, the Crate was simply constructed from inexpensive planks of wood with visible flaws. For Rietveld, the uncompromising simplicity of the Crate was an honest response to the harsh economic climate during the early 1930s.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1930s

Chaise lounge YEAR: 1935-1936 DESIGNER: gerrit rietveld Materials: bent laminated birch frame with bent plywood seat section
When Marcel Breuer arrived in England as an exile from Germany, he was eager to continue the experiments with tubular steel. Jack Pritchard, a sympathetic furniture maker who had offered to manufacture Breuer's designs, claimed that the British were too conservative to buy metal furniture and insisted that Breuer worked in wood. The result was the Long Chair, devised by Breuer from a laminated birch frame of two parts joined by the seat as a wooden version of his earlier metal chaises lounges. Pritchard publicised the Long Chair as offering "scientific relaxation to every part of the body".

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1930s

Serving cart YEAR: 1936 DESIGNER: alvar aalto Materials: continuous moulded laminated Birch timber structure with white linoleum shelves and woven willow basket. White lacquered wheels with slim rubber capping
The 1936 cart design was similar to the Paimio design, but altered to suit residential purposes. It only had one shelf but had the addition of a willow basket to carry tall items that may fall over when the cart was pushed. It worked better as the removal of one shelf meant walking behind the cart became easier. It was a double tiered wooden trolley, quieter to move around the wards than the traditional hospital cart.

http://www.modernfurnituredesigners.interiordezine.com/items/itemalvaraa ltoservingcart.html

BARREL (TALIESIN) CHAIR YEAR: 1937 DESIGNER: FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT Material: natural cherrywood with an upholstered leather seat Dimensions: 23 5/8" x 23 1/8" x 33"

Designed for the private residence of the Johnson Wax family for Wingspread in Windpoint, Wisconsin. Wright considered the barrel chair as one of his most important designs and placed them in his most famous commissions. He used a larger version in the Darwin Martin house, Falling Water and in his own residence, Taliesin East.

http://www.architonic.com/dcsht/barrel-chair-wright/4100102

ARMCHAIR 406 YEAR: 1938-1939 DESIGNER: ALVAR AALTO Material: LAMINATED WOOD AND SOLID BIRCH FRAME WITH TEXTILE WEBBING

Conceived as a variation on Alvar Aaltos earlier laminated wood cantilevered armchair, the Chair No. 406 was designed at the same time as he was working on the Finnish Pavilion for the 1939 New York Worlds Fair and Villa Mairea, a house for the industrialist Harry Gullichsen and his wife Maire. A few years earlier Aalto (1898-1976) had co-founded Artek, the furniture manufacturer, with Maire Gullichsen and his own wife Aino. Based in Helsinki, Artek produced many of Aaaltos furniture designs and continues to manufacture them today.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1930s

landi or spartana chair YEAR: 1938 DESIGNER: hans coray Material: bent and pressed aluminium construction When Hans Fischli, the architect of the 1939 Swiss National Exhibition in Zurich, organised a open competition to design the official chair for use in the parks and gardens, it was won by literature student Hans Coray (1906-1991) with the design for this aluminium alloy Landi chair, named after the exhibition. Practicality was the priority for Coray when designing the Landi. It needed to be light and stackable to enable the exhibition staff to move chairs from place to place for different events. As an outdoor chair, it also needed to be rainproof. Corays solution was to add perforations which not only reduced the chairs weight but allowed rain to drain from the seat.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1930s

Sling or butterfly chair YEAR: 1938 DESIGNER: jorge ferrari-hardoy, juan kurchan and antonio bonet Material: enamelled tubular steel frame with leather sling seat The B.K.F. Chairalso known as the Hardoy Chair, Butterfly Chair, Safari Chair, Sling Chair, or Wing Chairwas designed in Buenos Aires. Its name credits its three designers. The first two B.F.K. chairs to come to the United States went to Fallingwater, Edgar Kaufmann Jr.'s home in Pennsylvania (designed by family friend Frank Lloyd Wright), and to MoMA. Kaufmann accurately predicted that the lightweight and inexpensive lounge chair would become hugely popular in the U.S., particularly on the West Coast. Artek-Pascoe produced the chair from 1941 to 1948, sending royalties back to Argentina. Knoll Associates acquired U.S. production rights in the late 1940s and unsuccessfully pursued legal action against unauthorized copies, which continue to be produced to this day.

http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=4393

pelican YEAR: 1940 DESIGNER: finn juhl Material: fully upholstered seating section with maple legs

With graceful curves that befriend the body and wrap the sitter in its embrace, the Pelican is true to Juhls idea that a chair is not just a product of decorative art in a space, it is a form and a space in itself. And while the influence of contemporary sculpture is clear, Juhl was quick to clarify that furniture is furniture, not sculpture.

http://www.dwr.com/product/living/chairs-recliners/chairs/pelican-chairfabric-a.do?sortby=ourPicks

Armchair (model nv.45) YEAR: 1945 DESIGNER: finn juhl Material: mahogany frame with textile-covered upholstered seating section The NV-45 chair, a beautiful example of the fruitful cooperation between Finn Juhl and the cabinet maker Niels Vodder, was presented the first time at the "Snedkerlaugets mbeludstilling" at the Kunstindustrimuseet (Museum of Decorative Arts) in Copenhagen between the 28. Sept. - 14. Oct. 1945.

http://www.deconet.com/product.action?id=11878

Plywood coffee table YEAR: 1946 DESIGNER: charles and ray eames Material: bent birch-faced plywood frame

Using the same technology that led to the invention of their iconic moulded plywood lounge chairs, the Eameses designed their Plywood Coffee Table (1946) to have a lean, shaped form that was durable yet lightweight. In 1945, George Nelson, the Herman Miller design director, saw the moulded plywood coffee table and other ground-breaking Eames moulded plywood pieces at a showing at the Barclay Hotel in New York. Nelson was so impressed that he contacted the Eameses, and soon afterward, Charles and Ray were designing for Herman Miller. The table went into production in 1946.

http://www.hermanmiller.com/Products/Eames-Molded-Plywood-CoffeeTable http://www.dwr.com/product/manufacturer/hermanmiller/pre_sale/eames-molded-plywood-coffee-table.do?sortby=ourPicks

LCM (Lounge chair metal) YEAR: 1945-1946 DESIGNER: charles and ray eames Material: chrome-plated tubular steel frame attached to slunk skin (animal hide)-covered moulded plywood seat and back with rubber shock-mounts

The LCM Chair is one of a group of plywood chairs that was first shown in 1945 at New York at the Museum of Modern Art.

http://www.modernfurnituredesigners.interiordezine.com/items/itemcharles eameslcmchair.html

LCM (Lounge chair wood) YEAR: 1945-1946 DESIGNER: charles and ray eames Material: bent birch-faced plywood frame attached to moulded birchfaced plywood seat and back with rubber shock mounts In the early 1940s, after working all day on MGM set designs, Charles Eames returned to his small L.A. apartment with his wife, Ray. Together the two designers worked through their evenings, using thin sheets of veneer and a bicycle-pump compressor to experiment with woodmolding techniques. The technology they developed during those late hours made their revolutionary furniture designs possible, including this modest chair that Time magazine recently named the Best Design of the 20th Century. The contours of its low and casual form cradle the human body more comfortably than one would imagine can be done by a wooden chair.

http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_Eames%20LC W%20Chair_10451_10001_49581_-1_11461_11462_null_shop_

Womb chair YEAR: 1947-1948 DESIGNER: eero saarinen Material: bent tubular steel frame with fabric-covered upholstered moulded fibreglass seat shell and latex foam cushions, nylon glides Eero Saarinen designed with the human form in mind as the end user of the furniture. The Womb chair envelops the persons and creates a safe and comfortable place to curl up and relax. It's organic form is representative of the mid century Scandinavian modernism style of furniture using synthetic materials to create organically inspired forms. To increase the comfort he also designed a coordinating ottoman or foot stool. It was designed for Knoll Associates Inc. and is still in production.

http://www.modernfurnituredesigners.interiordezine.com/items/itemeerosa arinenwombchair.html

La chaise YEAR: 1948 DESIGNER: charles and ray eames Material: fibreglass seat shell on a wood and steel rod base This chaise longue was inspired by Gaston Lachaise's 1927 sculpture Reclining Nude and nicknamed after the artist. It did not receive a prize because it was considered too "specialized in use" and too expensive to manufacture at the time. However, it was highlighted by the judges, who admired its "striking, good-looking and inventive" molded construction. La Chaise finally went into production in 1990 and is now one of the Eameses's signature works.

http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3ADE%3AI %3A1|G%3AHO%3AE%3A1&page_number=15&sort_order=1&template_id= 1

DAR (DINING ARMCHAIR ROD) YEAR: 1948-1950 DESIGNER: charles and ray eames Material: MOULDED FIBREGLASSREINFORCED POLYESTER SEAT SHELL connected to an eifell tower METAL ROD BASE WITH RUBBER SHOCK MOUNTS The DAR Chair (DAR Dining Armchair Rod) is part of the Plastic Shell Group if chairs designed by the Eameses, from their ideas and prototypes by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen conceived for the Museum of Modern Art's "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" competition in 1940.

http://www.modernfurnituredesigners.interiordezine.com/items/itemcharles eamesdarchair.html http://www.deconet.com/product/248271/1953_RARE_1ST_YEAR_PRODUC TION_DAR_BY_EAMES_FOR_ZENITH_PLASTICS_CO_by_Charles_&_Ray_Eam es

RAR (ROCKING ARMCHAIR ROD) YEAR: 1948-1950 DESIGNER: charles and ray eames Material: MOULDED FIBREGLASSREINFORCED POLYESTER SEAT SHELL CONNECTED TO A METAL ROD AND BIRCH SLED BASE WITH RUBBER SHOCK MOUNTS

Plastic Armchairs were first presented as part of the famed New York Museum of Modern Art competition, "Low Cost Furniture Design". Their organically shaped seat shells made of fibreglass-reinforced plastic were later combined with various different bases, such as RAR's rockers and manufactured in their millions. In their latest version made of polypropylene the Armchairs now offer even greater sitting comfort.

http://www.vitra.com/en-un/home/products/eames-plastic-armchairrar/overview/

Y chair or wishbone chair YEAR: 1950 DESIGNER: hans j. wegner Material: oak frame with woven paper cord seat

The Y chair, sometimes known as the Wishbone, is Wegners most commercially successful design.

Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Hans J. Wegner. 1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (pp. 210). Cologne: Taschen gmbh.

Em table YEAR: 1950 DESIGNER: jean prouve Material: black painted sheet metal base, tapered, turned out angled, with a traverse brace in metal tubing and a veneered timber table top

Jean Prouv developed this classic icon of modern industrial design for the "Maison Tropique", a project for prefabricated housing in France, at the beginning of the fifties as a variation of an earlier design. With every single detail governed by its construction, the table follows the aesthetics of necessity and functionality. The Jean Prouv EM table illustrates the force vectors and static connections in a way that is otherwise only familiar in the context of civil engineering works. The elegance of "EM" can be attributed to the slight slant of the legs.

http://www.stardust.com/EMTABLE.html

Antony chair YEAR: 1950 DESIGNER: jean prouve Material: painted bent tubular and flat steel frame with moulded plywood seat section

The Antony chair was originally designed for the University of Strasbourg and manufactured by Jean Prouve's own company and distributed by Steph Simon of Paris.

http://www.retrotogo.com/2008/03/jean-prouve-ant.html

Antelope chair YEAR: 1950 DESIGNER: ernest race Material: painted bent tubular steel frame with moulded plywood seat section The Antelope chair embraced all the practical requirements of post-war furniture. The Antelopes jaunty curves, spindly legs and comical ball feet evoked the growing optimism of the British as they entered the 1950s convinced that science and technology would create a better future. The Antelope was commissioned to furnish the outdoor terraces of the newly built Royal Festival Hall for the 1951 Festival of Britain together with the stackable Springbok chair.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1950s

Elliptical table rod base YEAR: 1951 DESIGNER: charles and ray eames Material: 7 ply plywood with a high pressure laminate top and zinc plated wire base

The elliptical table is often referred to as the Surfboard Table due to it's elliptical shape tabletop. It highlights the wide design flavor that the Eameses created.

http://www.modernfurnituredesigners.interiordezine.com/items/itemcharles eameslelipticaltable.html

Wire mesh chair YEAR: 1951-1953 DESIGNER: charles and ray eames Material: bent and welded steel rod seat shell on eiffel tower metal rod base

Having concentrated on plywood seating when they arrived in Los Angeles in the early 1940s, Charles and Ray Eames (1907-1978 and 19121988) were producing chairs from fibreglass bucket seats and steel bases at the end of the decade. By the early 1950s, their experiments focused on the design of wire mesh chairs made from bent and welded steel. By doubling the gauge of the steel for the rim of the chair, the Eames developed a light, airy piece of furniture, which was also extremely robust.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1950s

Superleggera, model no. 699 YEAR: 1951-1957 DESIGNER: gio ponti Material: ASH FRAME WITH WOVEN RUSH SEAT This super-lightweight chair was inspired by the traditional rustic Italian chairs made by artisans in the fishing villages around Chiavari in Liguria. Determined to design a light, compact, inexpensive chair, Ponti reduced the weight to 1.7kg by using triangular-shaped legs and struts rather than the usual round ones. Finely balanced as well as light, the Superleggera 699 can be lifted up with just one finger.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1950s

Model no. 420c YEAR: 1950-1952 DESIGNER: harry bertoia Material: vinyl-coated bent and welded steel rod construction with loose seat cushion Bertoia was at Cranbrook during the period when Charles Eames was head of the Department of Experimental Design. The wire chairs of Bertoia appeared a year after the wire chair of Charles Eames. Although they are different in form, the basic concept is similar and both make use of the same material.

http://www.steelform.com/harry-bertoia/wire-chair.html

Diamond chair YEAR: 1950-1952 DESIGNER: harry bertoia Material: vinyl-coated bent and welded steel rod construction with loose seat cushion

If

you look at these chairs, you will see that they are mainly made of air, just like light sculptures, observed their designer Harry Bertoia (1915-1978). Bertoia had started to develop light, airy furniture from wire as a student at the Cranbrook Academy in Michigan during the late 1930s. When Bertoia set up his own studio in Pennsylvania in 1950, he returned to wire furniture and developed the elegant Diamond Chair for Knoll International.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1950s

ant YEAR: 1951-1952 DESIGNER: arne jacobsen Material: painted plywood seat connected to tubular steel base , rubber cap feet Despite its minimalist and svelte form, the Ant chair by Arne Jacobsen is extremely comfortable due to its shell design while achieving a beauty and elegance which has made Jacobsen's first stacking chair one of his best-known designs. Although a revolutionary design, the Ant was not an immediate hit when first launched by Fritz Hansen in 1952.

http://hivemodern.com/pages/products.php?view=sub_product&sid=1589&c id=

Rocking stool YEAR: 1954 DESIGNER: isamu noguchi Material: painted wood seat and base-connected with chrome steel rod structure Noguchi studied sculpture in New York after dropping out of medical school in the 1920s and then moved to Paris where he worked as an assistant to Constantin Brancusi. His sculptural sensiblility is evident in this Rocking Stool, originally developed for production by Knoll, which also fulfils the practical function of a seat.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1950s

Series 7 YEAR: 1955 DESIGNER: arne jacobsen Material: Painted moulded plywood seat connected to chromed bent tubular steel base with rubber cap feet

The Series 7 Chair debuted in 1955 at the H55 exhibition in Sweden, and the appeal of what remains one of the most copied chairs of the modern era is its shape. The chair is ideally suited to the human body, its seatback has a comfortable "give" and its waterfall seat edge doesn't press into legs. Arne Jacobsen, who was instilled with a love of materials, shaped the core of Danish design identity when he accommodated three different bends in one piece of plywood, simply by narrowing the chair back.

http://www.dwr.com/product/manufacturer/fritz-hansen/series-7collection/series-7-chair-wood-183%22.do?sortby=ourPicks

coconut YEAR: 1955 DESIGNER: george nelson Material: fabric-covered, foamupholstered steel shell and chrome tubular metal and metal rod legs Originally introduced by Herman Miller in 1955, the Nelson coconut chair is a 20th century furniture icon. It has a simple, striking shape, and it's also a very comfortable place to unwind at home or in the private office or lounge. The Coconut chair is typical of 1950s design, with its shallow sides and inviting curves. Designed to mirror a coconut, cut up into eight sections and is distinguishable by its formal clarity and minimisation of materials. The simplicity of the design is what has made the Coconut chair a hit throughout the decades, with a plush upholstered cushion that provides comfort in style.

http://www.express-furniture.co.uk/item-George+Nelson+Inspired+Coconut+Chair--EFW-DC020.html

butterfly YEAR: 1956 DESIGNER: sori yanagi Material: moulded rosewood with brass stretcher Ease of travel in the jet age encouraged a growing fusion of cultural influences after World War II. Although Yanagi's stool was designed and manufactured in Japan, it employs Western form (the stool) and material (bentwood). Its calligraphic elegance, however, suggests a distinctly Asian sensibility despite the rarity of such seating furniture in traditional Japanese culture. The stool is made from two curving and inverted L-shaped rosewood sections, each forming one leg and half of the seat. A metal rod midway between the legs serves as a stretcher and holds the stool together.

Sori Yanagi: "Butterfly" stool (model no. T-0521) (1988.195) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Model no.670 and model no. 671 YEAR: 1956 DESIGNER: charles and ray eames Material: rosewood-faced moulded plywood seat shells with leathercovered cushions, cast aluminium base Most of the work of the Eames studio was devoted to developing mass-manufactured furniture at affordable prices, but the Lounge Chair was an exception. It was a design that was more opulent that what they usually did. It combined industrial production with hand craftsmanship in leather upholstery and a moulded plywood shell with a rosewood veneer that enables the chair to move with the sitter.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1950s

pk22 YEAR: 1955-1956 DESIGNER: poul kjaerholm Material: chromed flat steel frame with leather seat and back PK22 Easy Chair (1957) was inspired by the light, elegant klismos chair created by the ancient Greeks. With this piece, Kjrholm reduced the chair to three elements: legs, seat and connecting clamps. Such simplicity is true to the International Style, and the combination of a steel structure with natural materials was characteristic of his work. Through his disciplined approach, the chair's cantilevered seat is stabilized by a double cross beam that is precisely positioned so the body rests naturally without a hard front edge or top rail.

http://www.dwr.com/product/designers/h-l/poul-kjaerholm/pk22-easychair-wicker.do

Marshmallow sofa YEAR: 1956 DESIGNER: george nelson Material: painted tubular steel frame with vinyl-covered latex foam-filled circular pads backed with steel disks The Nelson Marshmallow Sofa is a hallmark of modern design, with a recognizable look and fun, unique style. Some may find it surprising that the Nelson Marshmallow Sofa was actually designed somewhat by accident, as Nelson and Harper's quest for highresiliency low cost cushions was never reached. During this process, this now famous design was born as they placed 18 of the proposed cushions on a steel frame. Herman Miller recognized their ?failure? as an innovative design, and the rest is history.

http://www.inmod.com/maso.html

Tulip chair YEAR: 1955-1956 DESIGNER: eero saarinen Material: plastic-coated cast aluminium base supporting moulded fibreglass seat shell with loose upholstered latex foam cushion In a 1956 cover story in Time magazine, Eero Saarinen said he was designing a collection to "clear up the slum of legs in the U.S. home." Later that year, he completed his Pedestal Table and Tulip Chair Collection (1956) and obliterated the "slum" by creating a cast aluminum base inspired by a drop of high-viscosity liquid.

http://www.dwr.com/product/saarinen-tulip-armless-chairvinyl.do?keyword=TULIP+CHAIR+&sortby=ourPicks

mezzadro YEAR: 1957 DESIGNER: achille and pier giacomo castiglioni Material: lacquered tractor seat on chromed flat steel stem with wing-nut solid beech footrest

Inspired by the ready-made sculpture of the early 20th century artist Marcel Duchamp, Achille Castiglioni (1918-2002) and his brother Pier Giacomo (1913-1968) often made furniture from found industrial objects, such as the racing bicycle saddle of the Sella stool and the tractor seat of this Mezzadro chair. The choice of the tractor seat, a reference to the modernisation of Italian agriculture, evoked the brothers passion for industry and Italys rustic traditions.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1950s

Egg chair YEAR: 1957-1958 DESIGNER: arne jacobsen Material: fabric covered , foamupholstered moulded fibreglass seat shell on a swivelling cast aluminium base with loose cushion Arne Jacobsen designed the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, as well as many of the furnishings. For its busy lobby, he created the biomorphic Egg (1958) and Swan, which are believed to be the first swivelling upholstered chairs. More than 50 years after its design, the Egg Chair is still used in advertising, film and television as a symbol of sophisticated urbanism. Made in Denmark.

http://www.dwr.com/product/egg-chair-tonusfabric.do?keyword=egg+chair&sortby=ourPicks

SWAN CHAIR YEAR: 1957-1958 DESIGNER: arne jacobsen Material: fabric covered , foamupholstered moulded fibreglass seat shell on a swivelling cast aluminium base Before the Swan Chair (1958), Arne Jacobsen's architecture and designs were shaped by an assumption of materials' natural ways of resisting. In other words, he could make them go only so far in becoming the structure he desired. With new technologies, however, the old rules no longer applied and he was able to shape fluid curves and single-piece moulded shells. The Swan Chair is now made from polyurethane foam, but at the time, Jacobsen used Styropore to create its continuous shape.

http://www.dwr.com/product/manufacturer/fritz-hansen/swancollection/swan-chair-fabric.do?sortby=ourPicks

Aluminium group (ea117) YEAR: 1958 DESIGNER: charles and ray eames Material: enamelled aluminum frame and base with textileupholstered sling seat

The Aluminium Group was originally designed for indoor and outdoor domestic use, and during its development was often referred to as the Leisure Group.

Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Charles and Ray Eames. 1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (pp. 279). Cologne: Taschen gmbh.

Comprehensive storage system (CSS) YEAR: 1959 DESIGNER: george nelson Material: enameled aluminum, aluminum, walnut, enameled pressboard, fabric, laminate, plastic The CSS was designed by George Nelson for for Herman Miller in the 1950s. What is unique about this storage system is the fact that its elements can be rearranged anytime to suit the requirements of the user since it has adjustable brackets mounted within a continuous rack along each pole.

http://modernfindings.com/archives/2518

http://www.wright20.com/auctions/view/IIE9/IIFA/142/LA/none/TOP/0

panton YEAR: 1959-1960 DESIGNER: verner panton material: moulded baydur (puhard foam) construction Sexy, sleek and a technical first as the first cantilevered chair to be made from a single piece of plastic the Panton Chair epitomises the optimism of the 1960s. Inspired by the sight of a pile of plastic buckets stacked neatly on top of each other, Verner Panton (1926-1998) had struggled with ways of constructing a plastic cantilevered chair since the 1950s. When the Panton Chair was finally unveiled in the Danish design journal Mobilia in August 1967, it caused a sensation.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1960s

polyprop YEAR: 1962-1963 DESIGNER: robin day Material: injection-moulded polypropylene seat shell on enamelled bent tubular steel base There can be few schools, factories and village halls in the UK which do not contain at least one Polyprop chair. Day himself only realised how ubiquitous the Polyprop had become when he spotted the polypropylene seat shells in a makeshift canoe in Botswana. Day determined to use the new technology of injectionmoulding polypropylene to create a single form for the seat shell. The technology and Days design was so efficient that Hille International could manufacture over 4,000 seat shells each week.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1960s

Ball chair YEAR: 1963-1965 DESIGNER: eero aarnio Material: moulded fibreglass-reinforced polyester seating section on painted aluminium base with internal fabric-covered foam upholstery Eero Aarnio from Finland has a reputation for eccentric industrial design furniture with a modernism tilt, and he created the ball chair by using one of the simplest geometric forms. The ball chair was presented to the modern retro furniture world at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne Germany. Heralded as the deluxe ball chair it was known as a "room within a room" and great for relaxing, reading or even taking a discreet phone call.

http://furnish.co.uk/items/6678-eero-aarnio-ball-globe-chair

MODEL NO. GF 40/4 YEAR: 1964 DESIGNER: DAVID ROWLAND Material: Moulded plywood seat and back with chromed steel rod frame One of the most commercially successful contract chairs ever produced, the GF 40/4 was developed by the US designer David Rowland with practicality as the prime consideration. Determined to ensure that his chair would be as light and easy to stack as possible, Rowland strove to reduce the structure to its barest elements. He succeeded in developing a comfortable chair for use in offices, conference rooms and other public buildings that could be stacked 40-high at a height of just four feet. Rowland named the chair 40/4 after this feat. When the 40/4 was unveiled in 1964 at the Milan XIII Triennale, its designer was rewarded with a gold medal.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1960s

solus YEAR: 1964 DESIGNER: gae aulenti Material: chromed tubular steel construction with fabric upholstered seat Influenced by the work of contemporary designers, Gae Aulenti was encouraged to reconsider the principles and approach of modernist pioneers in his own work. Aulentis 1965 Solus chair not only evokes stylistic references to 1920s modern movement furniture but uses similar materials leather and tubular steel.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1960s

Hammock Pk-24 YEAR: 1965 DESIGNER: Poul Kjaerholm Material: adjustable design, stainless steel frame, woven wicker seat and backrest, neck cushion covered in classic black leather. The PK24 is remarkable for Kjaerholms sculptural treatment of stainless steel, a material that, he believed, was as pliable and expressive as the wood favoured by other Scandinavian designers. Like the PK22, the chaise longue is also light, lean and portable: a practical piece of modern furniture.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1960s http://www.deconet.com/product/243002/searchresult/all?s=4

universale YEAR: 1965 DESIGNER: joe colombo Material: injection-moulded cycolac abs plastic Obsessed by making a chair from a single piece of material, Colombo first tried to develop the Universale stacking chair in aluminium, but then experimented with ABS plastic. Light, portable and easy to clean, the Universale is also adjustable as its legs can be unscrewed and replaced with longer ones. Colombo strove for two years to perfect it for mass-production.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1960s

pastille YEAR: 1967-1968 DESIGNER: eero aarnio Material: moulded fibreglass-reinforced polyester structure

The Pastille chair or the Gyro, is a novel interpretation of a rocking chair. With its bold organic form, he chair exemplifies the sophisticated approach of many scandanavian designers to synthetic materials. Designed for interior and exterior use, it won an A.I.D. award in 1968.

Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Eero Aarnio.1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (pp. 367). Cologne: Taschen gmbh.

Additional living system YEAR: 1967-1968 DESIGNER: joe colombo Material: textile-covered moulded polyurethane foam on tubular iron frame with metal clamps

In 1967, Colombo unveiled the Additional Living System consisting of moulded polyurethane cushions in six different sizes which could be pinned together in different configurations according to the users wishes.

http://danmarcus.wordpress.com/2007/07/28/joe-colombo/

selene YEAR: 1969 DESIGNER: vico magistretti Material: compression-moulded Reglar fibreglass reinforced polyester structure

The key to the Selene chair was the section of the leg. I think I dealt with the problem by using a particular technology in the most proper way possible, but without allowing myself to be conditioned by it, or even inspired by the idea of modernity for its own sake. Vico Magistretti

http://www.bonluxat.com/a/Vico_Magistretti_New_Selene_Chair.html

Donna up5 YEAR: 1969 DESIGNER: gaetano pesce Material: stretch fabric-covered moulded polyurethane foam The Donna Up5 was regarded as uncompromisingly radical in 1969. Pesce designed it as part of a new series of vacuum sealed upholstered furniture which could be bought in as a flat pack and literally sprang to life once the vacuum seal was broken. Described by Pesce as transformation furniture, each piece is compressed to a tenth of its full size when vacuum-packed in PVC before expanding to its full size after the pack is opened. The Up5 became unexpectedly popular in the UK when it was featured as the diary room chair in the 2002 series of the reality TV show Big Brother.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1960s

birillo YEAR: 1969-1970 DESIGNER: joe colombo Material: chromed steel and tubular steel frame with leather-covered upholstered seat and backrest on fibreglass base Colombo designed the Birillo stool, which takes its name from the Italian word for bar stool, during the development of his ambitious Visiona project to create an imaginary living space. Robust and versatile with castors tucked neatly beneath its base, the Birillo was intended for use in fashionable 1970s offices as well as bars.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1960s

Synthesis 45 YEAR: 1971 DESIGNER: Ettore Sottsass Material: injection-moulded abs heightadjustable frame and base with textilecovered polyurethane foam-upholstered seat and back The Synthesis 45 chair was one of a number of designs for the office environment designed by Scotsass for Olivetti. With Olivettis Synthesis 45, Sctosass evolved a completely integrated office environment of technically innovative and visually seductive office products including desks, filing cabinets, chairs, screens and accessories. He aimed to provide a neutral, non-oppressive setting that created a feeling of calm and harmony through soft colours and unobtrusive components. Scotsasss collaboration with Olivetti is among the most fruitful between an industrial concern and a designer.

http://www.apencilfulloflead.com/?p=2

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omkstak YEAR: 1971 DESIGNER: Rodney Kinsman Material: tubular steel frame with epoxycoated pressed sheet steel seat and back

The chair itself has a tubular frame with perforated metal sheeting for the seat and back. The Omkstak became one of the most popular chairs of the 1970s. A rational design, which was conceived specifically for efficient, inexpensive volume production, the Omkstak is now regarded as an enduring symbol of the high tech style of interior design.

http://www.apencilfulloflead.com/?p=2

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Wiggle side chair YEAR: 1972 DESIGNER: frank o gehry Material: laminated cardboard construction One of Gehrys Easy Edges chairs, the Wiggle is composed of sixty layers of cardboard bonded and screwed together. Gehry transformed an everyday material the corrugated cardboard from which his architectural models were made - into a solid sculptural form. I began to play with it, to glue it together and to cut it into shapes with a hand saw and a pocket knife, he recalled.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1970s

aeo YEAR: 1972 DESIGNER: paolo deganello Material: lacquered steel frame and fibreglass-reinforced polyamide duratan base with fabric sleeve and fabric-covered polyurethane foam and polyester padded cushion By the end of the 60s, a new generation of radical Italian architects and designers was emerging with an increasingly critical, cynical view of the modern movement and its faith in technology as a force for progress. Among them was Paolo Deganello who cofounded the avant garde design group Archizoom in Florence, with Andrea Branzi. Like their fellow radicals, they were interested in applying their political and social ideas to experimental furniture as well as to architecture. In the AEO or Alpha and Omega Deganello attempted to reinvent the armchair by developing a collapsible structure made up of different parts, each in a material relating to its function.

http://www.apencilfulloflead.com/?p=2

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Abacus 700 YEAR: 1973 DESIGNER: david mellor Material: 700 range tubular steel frame and steel wire seat One of the most prolific British designers and design manufacturers of the 20th century, David Mellor is best known for his elegantly modern cutlery, but he has also applied his metalworking skills to other products, notably the Abacus 700 series of outdoor seating. Mellor designed this outdoor seating range in the fashionable 1970s high-tech style for Abacus, the Nottinghamshire-based manufacturer of furniture and lighting for public spaces

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1970s

Armchair 4794 YEAR: 1974 DESIGNER: gae aulenti Material: black lacquered moulded polyurethane

An exponent of the post-war Italian belief that the architect should adopt a unified approach to design from the spoon to the city, as Ernesto Rogers put it Aulenti is passionate about the importance of each element of a design project being particular to its location. As a furniture and lighting designer she has relished the opportunity to experiment with materials and typologies in objects that reflect her love of restrained elegance. When developing the Armchair 4794, she softened the plastic into a gently curvaceous form.

http://www.apencilfulloflead.com/?p=2

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Glass chair YEAR: 1976 DESIGNER: shiro kuramata Material: laminated glass

Kuramata took advantage of a recently-invented adhesive to create this tense glass chair, which is perfectly functional despite its effect of unreliable fragility and weightlessness.

http://www.designboom.com/portrait/kuramata/glass_chair.html

CAB 412 YEAR: 1976 DESIGNER: mario bellini Material: enamelled steel frame with zipfastening saddle-stitched leather covering
It was 1977 when Mario Bellini developed this brilliant concept a flexible steel frame covered with a skin of saddle leather. The use of zippers completes the piece to create a timeless design that transcends multiple environments.

http://www.designconnected.com/catalog/product/Cab_p4288/CassinaItaly_m229

supporto YEAR: 1979 DESIGNER: fred scott Material: polished aluminium frame with gas-cylinder height-mechanism and textile covered foam-upholstered seat and back sections

After leaving school Scott joined a local furniture manufacturer as an apprentice cabinet maker. He won numerous awards for his work and in 1963 was awarded a place to study furniture design at the Royal College of Art in London. His design of the Supporto was based on the scientific research conducted by Hille and on the results of the consumer tests of each prototype.

http://www.apencilfulloflead.com/?p=2

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carlton" room divider YEAR: 1981 DESIGNER: ettore sottsass Material: Wood and plastic laminate Between 1981 and 1988, Sottsass and a small international group of like-minded designers who called themselves Memphis created nonconformist furniture. The totemic "Carlton" room divider is an outstanding example of his Memphis designs. Although intended for a luxury market and of fine workmanship, it is made of cheap plastic laminates rather than fine woods. The vivid colors and seemingly random interplay of solids and voids suggest avant-garde painting and sculpture. Yet, typical of Sottsass, underlying the surface brilliance is an entirely logical structural system, of real and implied equilateral triangles.

Ettore Sottsass: "Carlton" room divider (1997.460.1ab) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Tippy jackson table YEAR: 1982 DESIGNER: philippe starck Material: painted tubular and sheet metal

French architect and designer, Philippe Starck, emerged in the mid1980s with original furniture for sophisticated clients. He often made use of industrial materials, employing simple, often abstract geometric shapes with elegant solutions to support systems and collapsibility for storage, as in his Tippy Jackson Table.

Raizman, D. (2003). Politics, Pluralism and Postmodernism. History of modern design: graphics and products since the industrial revolution (p. 357). London: Laurence King.

torso YEAR: 1982 DESIGNER: paolo deganello Material: steel frame with elastic webbing, fabric-covered polyurethane foam and polyester padding upholstery Stylistically the Torso is typical of the post-modernist Italian furniture of the early 1980s. Evoking the bold colours and blowsy patterns of 1950s suburbia, it celebrates the kitsch which had long been derided by the rationalists who had dominated modern design. Composed of interchangeable parts it can be adapted to meet the changing needs of its user and some components, such as the optional side table, gave it a remarkable versatility for the time.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1980s

veranda YEAR: 1983 DESIGNER: vico magistretti Material: painted articulated tubular steel frame with textile-covered polyurethane foam

The Verandas adjustable frame allows the footrest to be folded under the seat when not in used and the headrest to be folded down to provide a low-back if required. The designs lithe form belies the strength required to facilitate this degree of flexibility.

Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2005). Vico Magistretti.1000 Chairs: Taschen 25. (pp. 497). Cologne: Taschen gmbh.

kyoto YEAR: 1983 DESIGNER: shiro kuramata Material: Terrazo= coloured mixed mosaic glass into concrete, chrome plated steel.

In the 1980, Shiro Kuramata also designed several pieces of furniture for Memphis, which are notably more sophisticated and aesthetically reticent than other designs produced by Memphis. The Shiro Kuramata designs for Memphis include the "Kyoto" (1983) table of stained concrete and "Sally" (1987), a table made of metal and broken glass.

http://www.deconet.com/decopedia/designer/1446/Shiro_Kuramata#

Richard iii chair YEAR: 1983 DESIGNER: philippe starck Material: single shell moulded structure in rigid structural polyurethane, finished with polyurethane enamel in matte black or metallic silver. An armchair and a conversation piece, Richard III is a creative personification of Shakespeares character, much like the controversial reign of King Richard III, the intriguing design and meticulous realization of the armchair is heavily centered on duality and paradox of its namesake; traditional vs. modern, concave vs. convex, powerful vs. delicate, glorious vs. shameful. The stark contradictions of this armchair are so complex that its mere presence in a room makes it a focal point and denotes timeless admiration.

http://www.eroomservice.com/furniture/richard-III-designer-armchair.html

Costes chair YEAR: 1984 DESIGNER: philippe starck Material: Moulded laminated plywood in mahogany on black-lacquered tubular steel frame. Seat upholstered with foam. This famous chair inspired by Philippe Starck was originally designed for Cafe Costes in Paris. It was designed with three legs so that waiters at the cafe would not have as many legs to trip over.

http://www.designicons.co.uk/costes-chair

Apple honey YEAR: 1984 DESIGNER: shiro kuramata Material: Painted steel, chrome-plated tubular steel, vinyl.

Apple Honey is a composition of draconic geometrical basic forms, which nevertheless remain completely independent, resulting in functional furniture. While the square steel framework stresses the static of the seat, the tube, which becomes in the back the horizontal semi-circle, plays with the movement of the human body. With an inclination of exactly 45 it breaks through the framework and reinforces at the hind legs the most strongly stressed connection of the construction. At the front edge of the seat the framework remains open, so that the pad offers a more comfortable support.

http://www.wwt.de/tourismus_englisch/stuhlstadtplan/stuehle/applehoney. html

How high the moon YEAR: 1986 DESIGNER: shiro kuramata Material: epoxy coated nickel-plated steel

Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata's "How High the Moon" offers a philosophical meditation on the form of the chair. Here, Kuramata cleverly toys with one of the most iconic forms of Western furniture, one that is almost unknown in traditional Japanese design. "How High the Moon" appears almost fragile, calling into question its ability to support the weight of the human body, and by extension challenging the definition of the chair as a functional furniture form.

Source: Shiro Kuramata: "How High the Moon" armchair (1988.186) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

S-chair YEAR: 1988 DESIGNER: tom dixon Material: bent mild steel frame with either latex, rush or woven cane seating section Dixons favourite technique in the 1980s was welding and the frame of this chair is welded steel while the upholstery is made from rush. At this point in his career, Dixon did not use drawings, building the chair and altering and changing the design as it was developed in his studio. The name of the chair is a reference to its sinuous shape which is like the letter S. The frame of this chair was the original pattern for about 60 chairs made in Dixons London workshop in the late 1980s.

http://www.apencilfulloflead.com/?p=2497

Crown chair YEAR: 1988 DESIGNER: tom dixon Material: welded steel and gold leaf The flamboyant companion to Dixons S Chair is the exuberant Crown Chair, which he designed and made in the same year, using the same self-taught welding process. Like the S Chair and the late 1980s work of designers like Ron Arad and Phillippe Starck, the Crown Chair trod a fine line between art and design, sculpture and furniture. This striking throne-like chair fulfils the function of a seat but comes closer to Dixons definition of art, because it can be sat upon, but certainly not in comfort.

http://www.apencilfulloflead.com/?p=2497

Dr. glob YEAR: 1988 DESIGNER: philippe starck Material: tubular steel frame with polypropylene seat/front leg section

Dr.Glob arose from the idea of combining different materials to obtain greater structural rigidity solidity while using an innovative design approach. The texture, opacity and thickness of the seat make Dr.Glob a true master piece of style. All versions of Dr.Glob chair are stackable.

http://www.stardust.com/drglob.html

Plywood chair YEAR: 1988 DESIGNER: jasper morrison Material: Constructed from plywood, glue and screws The main reason why Ply-Chair looks the way it does today is that I had to make it myself and the only tools available to me were an electric compass saw and a number of pieces of wood. I noticed a cushioning effect when I used only a thin sheet of plywood for the seat and bent the crossed strips underneath it. To a certain extent this compensated for the chairs other less comfortable qualities. -Jasper Morrison.

http://www.apencilfulloflead.com/?p=2497

Miss blanch YEAR: 1989 DESIGNER: shiro kuramata Material: paper flowers cast in acrylic resin with tubular aluminium legs

Created for KAGU Tokyo Designer's Week', Kuramatas sublime chair Miss Blanche, one of his best-known works, was inspired by the corsage worn by Vivien Leigh in the role of Blanche Dubois in the movie version of 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. To create this chair, he gathered various kinds of artificial flowers from all over Japan and made models over and over until he achieved the illusion that the flowers were floating in space.

http://www.designophy.com/designpedia/design-product-1000000224-missblanche.htm

silver YEAR: 1989 DESIGNER: vico magistretti Material: tubular aluminium frame with injection-moulded polypropylene seat and back

As his inspiration, Magistretti took a 1920s chair designed by Marcel Breuer and manufactured by Thonet in Austria. Originally an architecture student, Magistretti turned to product and furniture design in the late 40s during Italys post-war drive of reconstruzione. Typically he took an existing object as his starting point and then rethought it by assessing whether it could be improved with the use of modern materials and production processes.

http://www.apencilfulloflead.com/?p=2497

w.w. stool YEAR: 1990 DESIGNER: philippe starck Material: Hard white maple veneers in 2"wide, 1/34"-thick strips laminated to 6- to 9-ply thickness with high-bonding urea glue, clear plastic glides with matte frost finish. Starck described them as surrealist or Dada objects intended to liberate the user from the humdrum reality of everyday life". Among them was the W.W. stool, which was originally designed by Starck as part of a fantasy workspace for the German film director Wim Wenders and named after him. The only object in the room to go into production, this stool seems to ignore all functional constraints by barely providing a surface to be sat on.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1990s

Cross check chair YEAR: 1990-1992 DESIGNER: frank ghery Material: Hard white maple veneers in 2"wide, 1/34"-thick strips laminated to 6- to 9-ply thickness with high-bonding urea glue, clear plastic glides with matte frost finish. Two years after receiving the Pritzker Prize -- "the Nobel of architecture" the designer released the Gehry Collection (1990) for Knoll. Paying homage to his Canadian roots, he named the pieces after ice hockey terms; the wafer-thin strips of laminated maple are bent, woven and curled into featherweight yet sturdy forms, evoking the simple strength of hockey sticks themselves.

http://www.dwr.com/product/designers/d-g/frank-o-gehry/gehry-crosscheck-armchair.do?sortby=ourPicks

Soft heart YEAR: 1990 DESIGNER: ron arad Material: Steel frame, polyurethane foam, fabrIC

Having studied architecture, Arad (1951-) taught himself how to make furniture, initially from found materials, in his London design studio during the early 1980s before welding exuberant forms from metals, such as steel and aluminium, in limited editions of sculptural furniture. Arad then developed mass-manufactured versions of those forms as upholstered pieces like Soft Heart.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1990s

LOUIS 20 YEAR: 1991 DESIGNER: PHILIPPIE STARCK Material: Blown polypropylene, aluminium

The Louis 20 chair is the product of lengthy technical experiments by Starck and the engineers of Vitra, the Swiss office furniture manufacturer. Eventually they succeeded in combining a shell and two legs made from blown polypropylene with an incongruous pair of aluminium legs to add Starcks inevitable joke.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1990s

AERON YEAR: 1992 DESIGNER: Donald Chadwick and William Stumpf Material: Recycled aluminium, polyester

The designers, Donald Chadwick and William Stumpf, consulted numerous ergonomists and conducted intensive consumer tests to ensure that the Aeron was as adaptable and as comfortable as possible for people of different shapes and sizes. Among the Aerons defining characteristics is its biomorphic, curvaceous structure. As there are no straight lines in the human body, Chadwick and Stumpf saw no reason to add them to their chair.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1990s