Image source: ClassiCon — Bibendum Armchair
© ClassiCon and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research.
Bibendum Armchair
Eileen Gray's 1926 tubular-roll armchair, named after the Michelin Man
900 × 720 × 790 mm
1926
Approx. $4,900 (reference price; varies by region and retailer)
Official product information
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Go to the official product pageDescription
Overview
The Bibendum Armchair was designed by Eileen Gray in 1926 and is produced by ClassiCon, under licence; the product sheet names Aram Designs Ltd, London as the world licence holder. ClassiCon calls it one of a kind: an armchair that is captivatingly harmonious despite its size and unites majestic presence with charm and esprit. ClassiCon says Gray named it ironically after the Michelin man, whose form the armchair calls to mind.
Construction
The base is tubular steel, chrome-plated or powder-coated in black. The seat is built on a beech frame with rubber webbing, with polyurethane upholstery and polyester fibre padding. The cover is available in fabric or leather, and the chair stands on black plastic gliders.
Specifications
- Dimensions: W 90 × D 79 × H 72 cm, seat height 42 cm
- Frame: chrome-plated or black powder-coated tubular steel
- Leather: Classic Leather (black, grey, anthracite, white, chocolate, cognac, blue, bordeaux) and Premium Leather (black, terra, coconut, enzian, rucola)
- Fabrics: five fabric groups, including Tinto, Manila, Manzoni, Topia, Pamir RE and Kvadrat Divina
Story
The Michelin Man in the salon
Eileen Gray was inspired by Bibendum, the Michelin tyre mascot, for this armchair. ClassiCon describes how she gave the character of this endearing parlour lion a touch of sly irony by naming it after the figure whose stacked rolls its form calls to mind. Wikipedia notes that the chair's tyre-like shapes sit on a chromed steel frame, and that its voluptuous outline recalls the figures of Renaissance painting while its geometry echoes the ideals of the Werkbund.
From the Rue de Lota to series production
The Bibendum chair belongs to Gray's interior for the Paris apartment of Juliette Lévy on the Rue de Lota, a project begun in 1917 that has been called the epitome of Art Deco. In 1973 Gray signed a contract with Aram Designs Ltd, London, to reproduce the Bibendum chair for the first time (Wikipedia, Eileen Gray). Today ClassiCon in Munich produces it as the only licensee worldwide.
