Standard

Overview

The Standard by Jean Prouvé is dated 1934/1950 by Vitra, which calls it one of the most famous classics of the French "constructeur". Its seat and backrest are wood; the metal frame comes in seven colours.

Construction

• Front legs of steel tubing, back legs of voluminous hollow sections that carry the main stress
• Seat and backrest in oak or walnut, lacquer finish
• Base of bent sheet steel and tubular steel, powder-coated (smooth)

Specifications

• Fact sheet drawing: 420 mm wide, 490 mm deep, 820 mm high (axes not named on the drawing)

Why the back legs are hollow sections

Vitra's family text says chairs take the most stress on their back legs, where they bear the weight of the user's upper body. Prouvé answered this in the Standard with steel tubing for the front legs, which carry a relatively light load, and voluminous hollow sections for the back legs, which pass the primary stress to the floor.

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

Wood or plastic

The page offers the Standard with a seat and backrest in wood, or as the model Standard SP in ASA plastic; the Chaise Tout Bois is the all-wood relative with a very similar design.