POÄNG - 40 years of comfort and style Living proof of timeless design. POÄNG armchair is turning 40 this year. So come and celebrate four decades of comfort and style along with us. POÄNG now has one new frame and six new covers to add to the existing range of combinations. Classic Scandinavian design doesn’t always have to originate in Scandinavia. This iconic armchair was actually the creation of Japanese designer Noboru Nakamura. There are literally dozens of possible combinations to choose from. The choice is yours. The chair follows the shape of the body and supports the neck and lower back. POÄNG has the classic lines of a chair that can fit in any home. It’s an almost universal armchair.Get a comfy seat all to yourself Armchairs are all about individual comfort. That’s why we have a lot to choose from – so you can sit comfortably and get the look you like. You’ll find everything from cosy chairs for conquering that crossword to recliners for your afternoon naps.
And many of our fabric covers can be machine-washed or dry-cleaned, too. GRÖNADAL rocking-chair combines a steel frame with rattan and ash, so it’s easy to get rocking in. Corner easy chair with 18 cushionsWith its bentwood frame, cantilevered seat, and curved backrest, the Poäng chair is one of Ikea's most recognizable pieces. The Swedish furniture maker has produced over 30 million Poäng chairs since it debuted in 1976, and it continues to sell about 1.5 million every year—the company's bestselling armchair—not bad for a design that's settling squarely into middle age. So what, exactly, made the Poäng a commercial success and an instant icon for Ikea? The secret lies in a genius concept that's been gently updated with the times. The company doesn't normally put individual designers in the spotlight, but for the Poäng's 40th birthday, it did. Japanese designer Noboru Nakamura is the creator of the Poäng. He came to Ikea in 1973 to learn more about Scandinavian furniture—and there, he collaborated with Lars Engman, the director of design at the company, on a chair that would use plywood veneer construction.
In a video interview, Nakamura, who left Ikea in 1978 to start his own furniture company, describes how the chair came about. "I learned by experience that a cantilever consisting of a U-shaped structure could, with a person, swing to some extent with the use of molded plywood, and I wanted it to swing in an elegant way, which triggered me to imagine Poäng," he says. "A chair shouldn't be a tool that binds and holds the sitter; it should be a tool that provides us emotional richness. [Poäng] creates an image where we let off stress or frustration by swinging. Such movement has meaning and value." The final silhouette resembled Alvar Aalto's Model 406 chair of 1939, but in lieu of a webbed or caned seat, the Poäng sported thin upholstery. "While the design has remained largely unchanged since its inception, this iconic product has undergone some alterations to make it more accessible, more affordable, more relevant, and to increase the quality," says Mark Bond, deputy range manager of living rooms at Ikea.
There have been tweaks to the upholstery color and pattern to keep the chair relevant with consumer tastes, but the biggest change happened in 1992. The chair's seat was originally made from tubular steel, but in the early '90s, the company switched to an all-wood frame and also narrowed the size. This allowed the chair to be flat packed—a move that reduced the price by 21% for customers (it's actually less expensive now than it was when it launched). That same year, Ikea changed the chair's original name, Poem, to Poäng. "The evolution has always been design-focused, thinking of this product not as a fashion item but rather adhering to and improving upon the classic design," Bond says. Considering that the Poäng routinely shows up in houses, apartments, dorm rooms, and anywhere you need to kick up your feet, Nakamura's emphasis on an emotionally rich chair—and Ikea's affordability-minded engineering—have proven to be a winning combination. To honor the design, the company is selling a limited-edition version of the chair, with a grasscloth-like cushion cover much like the inaugural offering had in 1976, starting in September.
Like the recently opened Ikea museum, that fanfare around the Poäng's design shows how the furniture company is beginning to demystify some of the genius that's contributed to its history—a welcome change that gives some of the most ubiquitous products in the world the same pedigree as pieces that cost many hundreds of dollars more. Never miss a story. I'd also like to receive special Fast Company offersThe requested URL /gb/en/products/sofas-armchairs/armchairs/po%c3%a4ng-armchair-oak-veneer-smidig-black-spr-69805529/ was not found.This month, the ‘Poäng’ chair celebrates its 40th birthday! Ikea’s modern design classic is still as popular now as it was when it was created in 1976 by Japanese designer Noboru Nakamura. Affordable, practical and eternally stylish, the ‘Poäng’ is the ultimate example of Ikea’s concept of Democratic Design – with 1.5 million sold globally every year. To celebrate the big 40, Ikea is releasing six new limited-edition cushion covers (scroll through the gallery above for our favourites) and one new chair frame.
Want to know more about this Scandi icon? Here are five facts to drop into conversation when you next visit the store… The chair was originally called ‘Poem’, but was renamed ‘Pong’ in 1992. More than 30 million ‘Pong’ chairs have been sold since its debut forty years ago. In 1992, the chair’s steel pipes were replaced by a frame made entirely of layered bentwood that could be flat-packed allowing the price to drop by 21 per cent. The pressure-test machines in Ikea stores exert 1000 newton on the ‘Pong’ a standard 50,000 times. That’s like a 220lb person sitting in the chair 20 times per minute. New (3) from $133.99 Ships from and sold by emporiumonline. Shop products for every room in your home from your Garage to your Kitchen. Ikea Poang Chair Armchair with Cushion, Cover and Frame Ikea Poang Chair Armchair and Footstool Set with Covers (Machine Washable) 31 x 26 x 11 inches #12,390 in Home and Garden (See top 100)