Utrecht Armchair

Overview

The Utrecht armchair is by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld: Cassina's page says he signed it in 1935 for the Metz & Co department store in Amsterdam, and gives 1988 as the year in its header and as the production year. Cassina calls it a renowned design armchair that combines experimentation and comfort, and an icon of Neoplasticism.

Construction

• Structure: load-bearing seat and backrest frame in tubular steel with elastic webbing
• Padding: polyurethane foam and polyester batting
• Stitching: blanket stitch or zig zag, in light blue, black, yellow, red or natural thread
• Covering: fabric (ranges E, F, L, O) or leather (Extra Y, Natural Z, Scozia X)

Specifications

• Armchair 637 01/02: W 64 × D 85 × H 70 cm (25.2 × 33.4 × 27.6 inches)
• Utrecht XL 637 X1/X2: W 66 × D 89 × H 75 cm
• Two-seat sofa 637 12/32: W 120 cm; sofa 637 03/04: W 204 cm

A commission from Metz & Co

Cassina's longer text says the design came in 1935, during Rietveld's work for the Amsterdam store Metz & Co., which wanted a chair that could be made in series. Reading the market while putting ease of sitting first, he broke the chair down into separate units.

Neoplasticism

Cassina concludes that this approach made the chair an icon both of the Neoplastic movement and of Rietveld's experimental vision. It adds that the edition is available in fabric or leather, with blanket or zig-zag top-stitching in either case in five colours.