Göteborg 1 Chair

Overview

Göteborg 1 is a chair by the Swedish architect Erik Gunnar Asplund. The Cassina page calls it the conceptual representation of Rationalism by the architect who designed the furnishings for the Gothenburg Town Hall, and the sheet says it was commissioned for the extension of that Town Hall.

Construction

The page lists solid ash legs, cold-processed polyurethane foam padding and a fabric or leather upholstery. The sheet gives legs in solid ash, a seat panel in birch plywood veneered and edged in ash, a black moulded thermoplastic seat body with cold-moulded polyurethane foam, and a steel-rod inner structure in the backrest.

Image source: Cassina — Göteborg 1 Chair · © Cassina and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

Specifications

• Code 501 10-12: 40 cm wide, 50 cm deep, 79 cm high
• Finishes: natural ash with transparent lacquer, or black-dyed ash with black lacquer and matt finish
• Upholstery: 4 fabric ranges and 4 leather ranges, 89 colours

A town hall chair

The sheet calls the Göteborg chair Asplund's poetic interpretation of Rationalist ideas. It was commissioned for the Town Hall extension in Göteborg, Sweden, and the ashwood frame recalls the warm, wood-panelled rooms of that building.

Profile and homage

According to the sheet, the curved and slightly convex profile recalls Bauhaus designs, although Asplund keeps the back and legs the same width. The sheet also sees in the chair an homage to the historic Thonet No. 14, one of the early examples of industrially manufactured furniture.