Portrait Chair

Overview

Portrait Chair is a multifunctional side chair developed for public spaces. Its sinuous lines and universal forms relate to the seated human body, giving the chair a generous, comfortable geometry.

Construction

The familiar chair typology is refined with a wood seat and backrest held by a welded tubular steel frame. Herman Miller describes the execution and details as precise, while the materials keep the expression natural and restrained.

Capacity and dimensions

The armless wood variant measures 20 in wide × 20.63 in deep × 29.63 in high. Portrait Chair stacks up to five high.

A competition-winning brief

Portrait Chair emerged from a Statsbygg competition, run with the National Museum of Norway, for a welcoming multifunctional chair for museum public spaces. The jury was led by Jasper Morrison.

Norwegian character

Andreas Engesvik connected the chair's sinuous lines with the seated human body. Herman Miller describes the result as a fresh interpretation of a familiar wood-and-steel typology, with a freer and more poetic aesthetic associated with the designer's native Norway.