Eames Shell Task Chairs

Overview

The Eames Task Chairs put the Eames molded shell, as a side chair or an armchair, on a five-star swivel base with casters for use at a desk. The shell comes in plastic, fiberglass, wood or wire, with or without upholstery.

Construction

A one-piece molded shell with waterfall edges on a five-star base with a pneumatic height adjustment of up to 5 in; the seat is swivel-mounted and the chair ships assembled.

Specifications

The armchair shell on the five-star base is drawn at 26 1/4 in, 25 3/4 in and 30 in (axes not named on the drawing), with a 15 3/4 to 20 3/4 in range.

From a four-star to a five-star base

Herman Miller's product sheet says the Eames Shell Chair family gained a four-star base option in 1953, and that the task chair updates the design's office look with a more stable five-star swivel base. The page adds that the need for expressive seating for offices, including home offices, inspired that original four-star base.

A desk chair for the shell

With the five-star base the shell is once again set on casters for use as a desk chair. The page describes the result as a chair that provides effortless functionality and flexibility while keeping the aesthetic and biomorphic shape of the Eames molded shell.