Office chairs, versatility and style to work in full comfort
Wrapping up like a hug, comfortable to accompany the body during a working day, and easy to move thanks to the wheels, the office chair is a constantly evolving design item. The merit is due to the fact that nowadays even companies pay attention to aesthetics and functionality, creating workplaces that are harmonious and pleasing to the eye, which combine beauty, practicality and comfort. An approach that is repeated for those who have a study or rooms with a workplace at home. In these cases the choice of one's own chair becomes fundamental because it is placed in one's own domestic space, on which stylistic choices had already been made and this must respect the style, harmonizing with the surrounding furniture.
In fact, the office chair has a history that comes from afar. Commonly called swivel chair in English, it was 'invented' in America by the famous politician, architect and scientist Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, in the early 1800s. Jefferson, in the years he was elected member of the continental congress, asked his cabinetmaker friend Francis Trumble to modify his trusty Windsor chair by adding wheels and a central pivot, in order to make it more suitable for his work and comfortable for the long hours spent at his desk. It so happened that the American congressmen signed the Declaration of Independence, in 1776, sitting at the Windsors of Trumble in a revolving version. These chairs, forerunners of the current office models, now furnish the Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Since then this type of seat has undergone continuous transformations and evolutions following technological advances and material innovations. In 1926, the German company Sedus presented "Federdreh", the first swivel work chair with amortized column, with an international patent, today considered the progenitor of modern office chairs. The real revolution of the product, however, took place in the 1960s, when we moved from the 4-spoke base to the 5-spoke one. A simple device that led to greater stability, to the development of the first oscillation systems and then to increasingly complex systems.
Physix by Vitra, a chair with a versatile DNA
The performance of the mobility of an office chair, with elements that contribute to determining a natural comfort in relation to the free movements of the body. The continuous surface, in response to the stresses and pressure on the armrests, reacts with different dynamics of the backrest and seat. These are some of the features of the Physix office chair, created by designer Alberto Meda for Vitra. The structure of Physix was born from the idea of creating a single body by inserting a single panel of fabric in tension between two side elements. Using cutting-edge materials and production technologies, Alberto Meda directs the interaction of three elements to create a new dynamic seating experience: a structure with a flexible frame, a stabilizing mechanism and an elastic covering. The union of these three characteristics forms an intelligent structure that explores new possibilities for dynamic seating through the interaction of flexible and rigid elements. The texture, then studied by Hella Joungerius the knitting, as if it were a wearable fabric. The weave is distinguished according to the area, for example the lumbar area is strengthened, and is obtained from two yarns also to create the mélange effect. A timeless seating, loved by companies but also perfect at home, when you spend many hours at the desk in front of the PC and you need comfort in posture.
Papilio Shell by B&B Italia, as comfortable and light as the flying of a butterfly
Comfort and creativity in the office proven by the Papilio Shell chair by B&B Italia. Designer Naoto Fukasawa manages to recreate the lightness of a butterfly's flying in this series of chairs. His name, in fact, Papilio, in the Latin language, means exactly butterfly. The backrest with its enveloping structure recalls the multicolored wings of the butterfly, ready to unfold and open in flying. Originating from a shell, whose design emphasizes warmth and comfort, the chair expresses a remarkable versatility that makes it usable in very different situations, not just domestic ones. Papilio Shell has a four-spoke swivel base, with or without wheels, and armrests in polished brushed aluminum, painted white, black or greige. The upper supporting part takes up the colour and finish of the body. Perfect in modern and essential environments, it enriches the office corner with a graceful touch of style.
Juli 09 by Cappellini, office chair as sinuous as a flower
It was 1996 when the Austrian designer Werner Aisslinger, several times winner of the 'Compasso d'Oro', created the Juli for Cappellini, a particular and innovative seat, modern in form and materials, reminiscent of the corolla of a flower. Elegant, sinuous and poetic, today Juli, now in version 09, mounts a new die-cast aluminum base, available in 4-spoke with feet and 5-spoke swivel with wheels, in chrome and polished brushed finishes. Alongside the traditional versions in integral polyurethane, there is a new version completely covered in a selection of fabrics, extra leathers from the collection. A real iconic office chair, so much so that it has been the subject of two successful reissues with the Juli Jubilee. First in 2009, then in 2016, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, limited editions were created that are now unobtainable desire objects for design enthusiasts, embellished with the ancient and precious technique of punching, which allows to reproduce designs to very high precision and shades of great effect on leather upholstery. An office chair capable of furnishing and embellishing even the easiest domestic corner intended for rapid work.