404 Chair

Overview

The 404 is the wooden chair in Thonet's chair series 404, and the product page gives its design as Stefan Diez, 2007. The page lists four related versions: the 404 F with armrests, the 404 SPF with armrests and upholstery, the upholstered 404 SP and the 404 H wooden barstool.

Construction

Thonet describes the series as a wooden chair range that goes back to its bentwood heritage and re-interprets it with aesthetic and technological criteria. According to the series text, bent chair legs and armrests merge in a "knot" that is embedded into the seat from underneath. The brochure shows the plain 404 in brightened oak, lists six stain finishes, and shows twelve STEP fabrics for the upholstered versions.

Specifications

• Dimensions (404): W 52 cm x D 53 cm x H 78 cm, seat height 45 cm
• Weight of the 404: 4 kg
• 404 SP (upholstered): W 52 cm x D 53 cm x H 78 cm, seat height 46 cm, 4.5 kg
• 404 F (with armrests): W 60 cm x D 55 cm x H 78 cm, seat height 45 cm, 4.7 kg
• Made in: Frankenberg, Germany

A bentwood chair in oak

Thonet presents the 404 as a wooden chair that traces back to its bentwood tradition. Its design year on the product page is 2007, and the brochure names Stefan Diez as designer. The series text puts the emphasis on the contrast between the elegantly curved wooden parts and the striking upholstery of the upholstered versions.

Image source: Thonet — 404 Chair · © Thonet and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

In use

Thonet's Café de la Paix reference in La Rochelle shows 90 chairs of the wooden chair programme 404 in a black lacquered version, half of them with upholstery, set against the Belle Époque interior of the historic café. Thonet writes that the 404 suits catering because of its high seating comfort and low weight.