Project Chair Models: Lessons from Design History
Chair design history reveals how materials and manufacturing methods shape furniture. Bent timber, tubular steel and moulded shells changed both the appearance of chairs and the way they could be produced. These examples offer a useful starting point when discussing the design direction of a hotel or restaurant project.
Thonet No. 14: Bentwood and production, 1859
Michael Thonet’s No. 14 dates from 1859 and is now known as the 214. Its six-part construction and bent solid timber illustrate the relationship between design, production and transport. Thonet’s model record explains its history and construction.
Wassily: A new language of tubular steel, 1925
Marcel Breuer’s Wassily combines a tubular steel frame with tensioned seating surfaces. Reducing a conventional upholstered armchair to structural lines shows how a material can reshape a familiar furniture type. Knoll’s account of Breuer’s designs dates Wassily to 1925.
LC2 and Cesca: Two approaches, 1928
Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand designed LC2 in 1928. Its external metal frame surrounds the cushions, separating structure from upholstery. It was exhibited at the Paris Salon d’Automne in 1929. Cassina’s record credits all three designers.
Breuer’s Cesca also dates from 1928. Its cantilevered tubular frame combines with timber framing and woven cane. The Knoll Cesca record provides a clear reference without conflating it with similarly named models from other manufacturers.
Barcelona: Furniture and architecture, 1929
The Barcelona chair emerged in the setting of the German Pavilion at the 1929 International Exposition. Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich’s collaboration demonstrates the value of considering furniture within an architectural composition. Fundació Mies van der Rohe discusses this relationship.
Eames and Bertoia: Shells and wire structures
Charles and Ray Eames’s fiberglass chair family reached the market in 1950. Combining a moulded shell with different bases demonstrates how one design principle can become a furniture family. Vitra documents its development.
Harry Bertoia’s 1952 wire chairs explore an open metal seating surface. The Bertoia Side Chair is one example of this approach to form and structure.
Panton: Developing a one-piece cantilever chair
Verner Panton conceived the chair in 1959; development for serial production with Vitra followed in 1967. Distinguishing these dates helps separate the design idea from its production launch. Vitra’s history also describes subsequent changes in material.
Connect design references with project requirements
A striking form still needs to be assessed for table compatibility, seating, maintenance and its intended use. Explore restaurant chairs and hospitality furniture when building your project shortlist. Sandalyeonline is a Turkey-based international B2B contract and hospitality furniture manufacturer. Discuss your project requirements with our export team.