The Eames chair series (1950) is the representative work of the Eames and his wife who have gained worldwide fame. It is made of glass fiber, a new material at the time, which can be adapted to every family and every environment. It is the world’s first mass-produced single chair.
The predecessor of the Eames Chair was the “Shell Chair”. It participated in the international competition for the first time in 1948. Because of its completely innovative and concise appearance, it was unanimously praised by the judges and won the second prize of the competition.
In 1948, the prototype of the shell chair in MoMA’s “International Competition on Low-cost Furniture Design” was still made of stamped steel, which was difficult to mass-produce.
It should have been put into production immediately after winning the award, but it was made of stamped steel at that time the cost was very high, and the chair will rust after a period of use, so it is impossible for the shell chair to be marketed at this time.
In order to make it affordable to the public, Charles took the manuscript of the shell chair to the manufacturer and searched for it several times before coming to the studio of the shipyard John Wills. Unexpectedly, I really found a solution that can reproduce the design of the shell chair, and the cost is only $ 25! !
The fiberglass material brings huge benefits. Not only is the cost cheap, but also the original cold touch is removed, and the sitting feeling is more warm and comfortable. For a time, the chair was warmly sought after by everyone.
Of course, the reason why this chair became a classic is because of its epoch-making significance. The chair adopts an unprecedented molding and compression method and can be mass-produced. It is the first single chair in the world to be mass-produced.
Post time: Mar-29-2022