Saarinen Executive Armchair – Wood Legs

Overview

The Saarinen Executive Armchair with wood legs (model 71A-W) is the fixed armchair of Knoll's Saarinen Executive line, which Knoll introduced in 1950. Knoll says it is meant for work, conference, lounge and dining use, and also makes it on tubular steel legs and on a swivel base, and as an armless chair.

Construction

• Back shell of molded, reinforced polyurethane with a soft organic shape and a subtle flex
• Contoured plywood seat form with a urethane foam cushion
• Steam-bent oak legs (solid oak on the design-plan page, laminated ply oak on the price list) in four listed finishes
• KnollTextiles or Spinneybeck leathers; a welt along the arms, back and seat top in the same material or in contrasting leather
• Molded nylon disk glides in a stamped steel shroud

Specifications

• W 26" × D 24¾" × H 31½" (660 × 629 × 800 mm); seat height 18" (457 mm), arm height 25" (635 mm)
• Weight 18 lb; Intertek Clean Air certified

Scaled down from the Womb Chair

Knoll's design-plan page says that after the Womb Chair Saarinen went back to task seating and reduced the idea and form of the Womb to an arm chair and an armless chair. These were introduced as the 71 and 72 Series and replaced Florence Knoll's model 43 chairs as the Planning Unit's usual seating.

Image source: Knoll — Saarinen Executive Armchair – Wood Legs · © Knoll and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

The chair with the hole in the back

Knoll adds that the design is often called "that chair with the hole in the back" and has been in its portfolio for more than sixty years. It quotes Saarinen on posture: "A person never sits in one stationary position. It is ridiculous to work out a theoretical one position chair."