Description
Standard Chair is the only chair that betrays the evidence and was designed in 1934 by Jean Prouvé.
In an object design, you start with paper and pencil while in the construction, you take into account the materials, their relationship and the manufacturing process from the beginning. That is why Jean Prouvé wanted to be called builder and not designer, since he did not consider only the form.
“Never design anything that can not be done”
It is clear that when we sit in a chair, we accumulate the largest amount of weight in the hind legs, Jean Prouvé materialized this fact in the construction of his Standard Chair. At first glance, we can see that the hind legs (which emulate the wings of an airplane) have a great volume, while the front ones are thinner.
His research and innovation with folded steel sheet is evident in the hollow legs made with this material, which absorb more load and narrow to determine the position of the backrest. For the other two legs, the use of tubular steel was sufficient.
For the seat, the builder used wood. Vitra currently produce it in natural or dark oak and walnut.
Until the early twenty-first century, the public did not have access to the engineer’s designs or rather the constructions. Thanks to the Swiss manufacturer, we can enjoy this chair, which only the family and close circle of Jean Prouvé knew.
This seat had several prototypes, even made one in metal, until reaching the “Nº4 Chair” the Standard Chair. Due to the shortage of materials in World War II, he built in 1941 the Chaise Tout Bois. He developed it entirely in wood without using a nail and we can now enjoy it in natural or dark oak with a protective varnish applied.
Any self-respecting design must be timeless and be adaptable. This is how the chair Standard SP “Siège en Plastique” was born, done by the Prouvé family and Vitra. A chair that maintains the original structure, available in eleven colors, and in which the material used for the seat and backrest is plastic edited in seven color options.
A chair with character and history, perfect for any space and available in different combinations of materials and colors. If you are looking for a table, we recommend you the EM Table, which he built in 1950. You will enjoy the process of choosing the perfect materials and colors for you, as well as having a dining room with personality and well built, a la Jean Prouvé.
