Image source: Vitra — Eames Fiberglass Chairs
© Vitra and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research.
Collection Story
Origin
Vitra ties the Eames Fiberglass Chairs to the Museum of Modern Art's 1948 competition for low-cost furniture, where Charles and Ray Eames entered a body-moulded shell and a concept for interchangeable bases. It won second prize, but the metal shell could not be made economically in series. Glass-fibre reinforced polyester, used until then mainly for military parts, gave them a material that could be moulded, was rigid and suited industrial production, and the chair reached the market in 1950.
Image source: Vitra — Eames Fiberglass Chairs · © Vitra and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official website ↗ · Image use & copyright policy
Design Language
A single organically shaped shell was unusual at a time when chairs were built from a separate seat and backrest. The Eameses designed bases to go with it, including the welded wire Eiffel Tower base and a wooden base reinforced with metal struts. Because fibreglass had existed only without colour, they mixed their own hues, starting with greige, elephant hide grey and parchment.
Key Pieces
- Eames Fiberglass Armchair DAR
- Eames Fiberglass Side Chair DSW
- Eames Fiberglass Stool High and Stool Medium
- Further armchairs and side chairs on rod, wood, La Fonda and X bases
Pieces in this collection
Eames Fiberglass Stool High
Eames Fiberglass Stool High: fibreglass shell on a four-legged base for standing-height tables.
Eames Fiberglass Armchair DAR
Eames fibreglass armchair shell on the 'Eiffel Tower' wire base, in three colours
Eames Fiberglass Side Chair DSW
Eames' fibreglass side chair on a four-legged wooden base, 1950, with optional seat cushion.
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