Innovative Wire Chairs Sturdy, easy to move. Cross-weaving only where strength is required makes the wire chair strong and lightweight.Three models. Available unpadded, with a one-piece "dot" seat pad, or with a two-piece pad ("bikini" model).Landmark Plastic Chairs Sculpted look. Available in a variety of colors, the plastic chair has a clean, simple aesthetic.Popular design. The chairs have achieved a pervasive presence that proves the enduring qualities of good design. Design Story In the early 1950s, The Eames office investigated bent and welded wire as the basis for furniture. Inspired by trays, dress forms, and baskets, the office developed a variety of pieces, including the plastic and wire-mesh chairs.Plastic chairs--When Charles and Ray Eames developed their plastic chair in 1950, it was a breakthrough in the commercial use of fiberglass-reinforced plastic for seating. The current model looks exactly the same as the original, and it has been updated to a more environmentally friendly, high-impact plastic material. Wire chairs--After carefully studying the contours of the body, the Eameses molded the seat of their wire chair using cross-woven wires and positioned it on the bent-wire base. To achieve cost restraints, strength requirements, and an organic shape, they made the rim of the chair a lighter-gauge wire and doubled it for strength and stability. This advance won the Eameses the first American mechanical patent for design. The chair was introduced in 1951 for the consumer who wanted quality design at a reasonable price. Once in production, it began to be used in offices, hotels, and restaurants. It was marketed by Herman Miller until 1967--and reintroduced in 2001. DISCOVERING DESIGN |
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