Journal

The Chair: The Embodiment of an Era, A Diary of Design

Of all the furniture invented by humankind, the chair is undoubtedly the piece that best reflects the era it inhabits. In the 18th century, it was a symbol of power in the form of aristocratic armchairs that could be taken on one’s travels or moved from room to room. In the 19th century, it was bourgeois, mushrooming in family dining rooms, only to become an ever-changing designer object a century later. The chair has long kept pace with and reflected changing lifestyles, representing, in its appearance, the twists and turns of its time.

“Thonet chair balance” © Creative Commons

Sitzmachine adjustable-back chair, design Josef Hoffmann - National Gallery of Victoria © Creative Commons/ Sailko

In the early 20th century, chair design was still heavily influenced by 19th-century tastes, reinterpreting classical styles such as the Louis XVI or the neo-Renaissance Henry II. The advent of modernism, however, swiftly led to new perspectives. Avant-garde designers, such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Josef Hoffmann, experimented with geometric shapes and lighter-weight frames, laying the groundwork for minimalist esthetics that were more practical and functional.

House for an art lover, Glasgow design by Mackintosh, an ode to feminity © Creative Commons/Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

The "Wassily" chair by Marcel Breuer © President and Fellows of Harvard College

Then came Bauhaus, the movement founded in Germany in the 1910s, which revolutionized the art and conception of furniture, including chairs. Bauhaus was centered on streamlined, functional designs in which esthetics and utility were inseparable. Marcel Breuer’s 1925 Wassily Chair, also known as the Model B3 chair, exemplified the movement’s philosophy of form following function, a work of steel tubing and leather that was the very essence of Bauhaus. This innovative design paved the way for a new generation of architects who saw the chair as the ideal object for testing their talents.

Arne Jacobsen, Egg chair, 1957-58, originally designed for the Royal SAS Hotel in Copenhagen © Creative Commons /Collection Nasjonalmuseet

The decades that followed – the 1940s to the 1960s – are often viewed as the golden age of chair design. Visionary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Arne Jacobsen entered the spotlight during this period, creative forces that explored new horizons of possibility with innovative shapes and novel materials. In 1956, the Eames’ Lounge Chair became an emblem of modern luxury, a blend of elegance and ergonomics in molded plywood and leather. Arne Jacobsen designed the Egg Chair, released in 1958, an enveloping form that was the quintessence of biomorphic design.

© Reina Design Interior Collection Volume 2 - Creative Commons /Rama

Experimental inventiveness using synthetic materials gained momentum with the 1967 Panton Chair from Verner Panton. This cutting-edge seat, crafted from a single piece of molded plastic, marked an artistic turning point in its exploitation of plastic’s infinite potential, supplanting metal and plywood.

Michele De Lucchi's “First” chair © Creative Commons/ Sailko

The 1970s and 1980s saw an explosion of styles and uninhibited creativity. Postmodernism moved to center stage with dazzling colors, exaggerated shapes, and unbridled eclecticism. Influences like Ettore Sottsass and his Memphis Group, also known as Memphis Milano, shattered conventions and played with form and function. Michele De Lucchi’s First Chair from 1983, with its unexpected lines and bold color contrast, came to symbolize an era in which everything seemed possible.

By the late 20th century, new concerns about sustainability and environmental protection began influencing chair design, with recycled and ecological materials gaining ground, as with Emeco’s

1006 Navy Chair made from recycled aluminum. In this same period, Philippe Starck reinvented the classical chair with his 2002 Louis Ghost chair, dovetailing the Louis XVI style with transparent polycarbonate in a union of past and future. The modern era also saw a rise in the design of ergonomic chairs, like Herman Miller’s Aeron Chair of 1994 made specifically for long hours working in an office. It was adjustable and crafted with breathable materials, ushering in an age in which comfort and good health were paramount.

Kong restaurant on the top two floors of Kenzo headquarters, Paris - Armchairs by Philippe Starck Kong series, Ed Kartell 2000 © Creative Commons/ Luc Boegly

In the 20th century, the chair kept pace with social, technological, and cultural shifts, whether they were small or seismic. In the 21st century, the art of design continues be reinvented, incorporating emerging technologies while addressing ecological concerns and users’ ever-changing needs. This ceaseless creative evolution has left – and continues to leave – a legacy of great depth and breadth, one that guides designers to breakthrough concepts and innovative expressions to this day.

Amarante chair - Rinck contemporary collection © Gaspard Hermach/RINCK