VitraEames Plastic ChairInformationProducts of the familyDesigner Eames Plastic ChairsCharles & Ray Eames, 1950'Getting the most of the best to the greatest number of people for the least': with these words, Charles and Ray Eames described one of their main goals as furniture designers. None of their other designs come as close to achieving this ideal as the Plastic Chairs. For years, the designer couple explored the fundamental idea of a one-piece seat shell moulded to fit the contours of the human body. After experiments with plywood and sheet aluminium in the 1940s produce unsatisfactory results, their search for alternative materials led them to glass-fibre reinforced polyester resin.The Eameses recognised and fully exploited the advantages of the material: mouldability, rigidity, pleasant tactile qualities, suitability for industrial manufacturing methods. With this material, which was previously unknown in the furniture industry, they successfully developed the shell designs for serial production.
After their debut at the 'Low-Cost Furniture Design' competition organised by the Museum of Modern Art in 1948, the Plastic Armchair (A-shell) and Plastic Side Chair (S-shell) were launched on the market in 1950 as the very first mass-produced plastic chairs in the history of furniture.The Eames Plastic Chairs also introduced a new furniture typology that has since become widespread: the multifunctional chair whose shell can be joined with a variety of different bases to serve diverse purposes. As early as 1950, Charles and Ray Eames presented a series of bases that enabled various sitting positions. An especially striking model is the so-called Eiffel Tower base – an intricate and graceful design made of steel wire that inimitably combines light, elegant forms with structural strength.Today Vitra manufactures the comfortable seat shells of the Plastic Side Chairs and Plastic Armchairs in polypropylene, offering a multitude of bases, shell colours and upholstery options. This allows customers to specify countless different combinations and to use the chairs in the widest range of settings – from dining rooms, living rooms and home offices to office workspaces and conference rooms;
from restaurants and cafés to break rooms and cafeterias; from waiting areas and auditoriums to terraces and gardens.In 2016 Vitra has added approximately 20 mm to the height of the Eames Plastic Chairs DSX, DAX, DSR, DAR, DSW and DAW, while also revising the seat geometry. These modifications, which are aesthetically almost imperceptible, increase the comfort of this classic chair design, especially in combination with contemporary tables.Seat shell (14)Other coloursHopsak (28)Other colours2)4)2)1)1)2)2)Seat shell: dyed-through polypropylene. All models (except RAR) are available with a seat cushion (screwed to the seat shell) or full upholstery. The fully upholstered version has moulded polyurethane foam padding covered in Hopsak fabric, attached to the shell with a welted edge. Covers are available in all Hopsak fabric colours. Different shell and upholstery colours and various bases provide a multitude of possible combinations.Options: the Eames Plastic Chair is available as a visitor chair, dining chair, rocking chair, swivel chair or in stacking versions and with ganging brackets for row seating.
Beam-mounted shells are suited for use in waiting areas. Skip to accessibility help , Red / Light Maple The new height of the iconic Vitra Eames DSW is ultra-stylish and beautifully comfortable in design, made from a moulded seat that's designed for every 'body', atop a sturdy maple base. Every colour in the selection complements each other, so you can mix and match to suit your décor. With their new seat height, the Eames DSW Chairs are even better suited for use in combination with contemporary dining tables and interiors. The polypropylene shell is dyed through, so the colour will never fade. Husband and wife team Charles and Ray Eames revolutionised 20th Century furniture design. They combined their respective disciplines in architecture and modern art with low-cost yet durable materials to create perfectly balanced, functional furniture. The Eames’ works have proved to be real ‘designs for life’: they’re iconic art pieces and objects of desire, yet utterly practical.
Please note: Not all of our Furniture ranges are on display at every branch. Please phone your nearest John Lewis to check before you visit. 0% APR Representative: If you buy this product in our shops, it's eligible for Interest Free Credit, which is available when you spend £1000 or more on selected home products. Terms and conditions apply: find out more H83 x W46 x D55cm Eligible for International Delivery Delivery from 3 working days (lead time and available delivery slots will vary by postcode) International delivery not available How we may still help youVitraAluminium ChairInformationProducts of the familyDesigner Aluminium GroupCharles & Ray Eames, 1958The Aluminium Chair is one of the great furniture designs of the twentieth century. Charles and Ray Eames originally designed it in 1958 for the private residence of an art collector in Columbus, Indiana (USA). For the construction of this chair, Charles and Ray Eames departed from the principle of the seat shell, instead stretching a panel of fabric or leather between two aluminium side members to create a taut but elastic sling seat.
The chair adapts to the body of the sitter and is exceedingly comfortable, even without elaborate upholstery.The Aluminium Group includes several different models for use in homes, offices and public areas. Vitra has produced the Aluminium Group chairs over a period of decades in the same superior quality. This experience allows us to offer a 30-year guarantee* on all of the chair models in the Aluminium Group.*The guarantee is that if any Aluminium Group or Soft Pad Group chair purchased by you after 1st of September 2003 develops a manufacturing or materials fault within 30 years from the date you purchased it, Vitra will repair or replace it free of charge.Note that surface marking, weathering and normal wear and tear is not covered by the guarantee, nor is damage caused by deliberate attack or misuse. This guarantee is in addition to your statutory rights.Hopsak (28)Other colours8)Leather Premium/back panel Plano (29)Other colours3)2)Article from the 2015-07-16, by Sabrina Pflüger
Eames Plastic Chair: the classic piece with a new coat The Eames Plastic Side Chair inevitably belongs to the classic one among all chairs and the more voluminous Plastic Armchair is also hard to think away from living rooms and waiting halls of all over the world. The range of colours of the classic piece is regularly completed with trendy tones and they also appear with a new coat and a new height this year. Even though you cannot recognize the age of the Plastic Chair, the design is more than 60 years old. The pair of designers Ray & Charles Eames experimented for years with different materials searching for an adapted seat, until they eventually found fiberglass reinforced polyester resin. This one was easy to form without losing any stability. Plastic sears were produced for the first time in 1950, after being presented on the “Low Cost Furniture Design” exhibition of the Museum of modern Art in 1948 for the first time as well. This made them the first serial produced plastic chairs of design’s history – a novum and absolutely deserved design classic today.
Classic shape: new colours, new height Despite of the timeless character of the Eames Plastic Side Chair, the classic piece by Vitra is offered in new colours and in a new height of 43 cm recently. The classic shape of the chairs thereby remains unchanged. The range of colours of the Eames Plastic Side and Armchairs has been enlarged with six new colours in cooperation with Hella Jongerius, who supports the team of experts at Vitra as Art Director in the colours and material world since 2008. The seats are also available in ice grey, marine blue, moss green, oxide red, classic red and classic green now. The classic chair has more facets now with the new coats it can wear. The classic chair is available with new bases now – additional to the classic height – in order to be as comfortable as back in 1948, as intended by Charles & Ray Eames. The new heights are adapted to the size of our bodies, which grew by about 10 cm since the first production of the chair. Mix & Match: Eames Plastic Chair