As older readers will know a large proportion of the menial labour at (smow) is carried out by a team of highly qualified Vitra Eames Elephants.

In the past we’ve praised them, for example, for their help moving USM Haller units around our warehouse.

(smow) recently moved into a new base in the Leipzig Baumwollspinnerei complex, a former yarn works largely inhabited by artists, sculptors and their ilk.

Being naturally curious beasts our elephants didn’t take long to start exploring the galleries and creative spaces that house our new neighbours.

And one in particular embarked on a trip that involved meeting numerous old acquaintances…..

It is indicative of the image of designer furniture in contemporary society that media outlets across Europe have picked up on the fact that in connection with the recently published “Wealth Decelerations” by the French Cabinet, Industry Renewal Minister Arnaud Montebourg has revealed he owns an Eames Lounge Chair.

Indeed the online platform from German magazine Der Spiegel illustrated the publication of the Declarations with an image of an Eames Lounge Chair in one its first reports!

The Eames Lounge Chair. Similar to that owned by Arnaud Montebourg.

While the fascination with Monsieur Montebourg and his Eames Lounge Chair is almost certainly related to the fact it is one of the few revelations of what is hidden behind the figures – the revelation isn’t in the official documents but from an interview in Le Monde – it does highlight the widely held view that possession of designer furniture is somehow an indication of unreachable, and potentially unjust, wealth.

Yes, an object such as an Eames Lounge Chair may cost more than most people would normally consider paying for a piece of furniture.

However do a cost:lifetime analysis and it suddenly doesn’t look sssooo much when compared to the alternatives.

The investment in an Eames Lounge Chair is an invetsment in an object that will not only accompany you until your last breath. But also you children. And, and assuming everyone takes care of it, their children.

And then there is the material investment.

If you look at the Ministerial Declarations you will find, for example, that European Affairs Minister Thierry Repentin bought a Renault Scenic in 2009 for Euro 26,700. It is now worth Euro 8,500.

Now while Arnaud Montebourg is unlikely to recoup the ca. Euro 4,300 he paid in 1988 for his Eames Lounge Chair, he’s certainly not going to be looking at a 66% depreciation.

And don’t we want politicians who make sensible economic decisions? Especially in the current climate?

For us part of the problem that leads to such a fascination with the ownership of a design classic such as the Eames Lounge Chair is the way such objects are advertised or generally medially presented.

All too often designer furniture is presented as something other worldly. Exclusive. Not for the likes of you young lady……

As we’ve said before, and will repeat until our teeth fall out, if manufacturers were to reject the tired, agency motivated imagery, and instead concentrate more on explaining the quality of the materials used, the quality of the craftsmanship involved, the length of the design process, the investment in machines required to create their objects, etc, etc, etc the public would understand the price. And would adore the objects even more as a touch of luxury in the midst of their grey, unfulfilled lives.

In this context the Lounge Chair Atelier in the VitraHaus is a wonderful development as it allows visitors to not only see, and feel, how a Vitra Lounge Chair is assembled, but also to speak to the staff and so learn a little more about the people behind the objects.

So we say, lay of Monsieur Montebourg! He had the free capital in 1988 and for us he made a wise and sensible investment.

And in terms of unfettered decadency: Justice Minister Christiane Taubira admits to owning three bicycles.

Three bikes!!!

Qu’ils mangent de la brioche! indeed……

A White Vitra Eames Lounge Chair. As seen at Eames by Vitra, Wasserschloß Klaffenbach Chemnitz

Until April 9th the Wasserschloss Klaffenbach Chemnitz is presenting the exhibition Eames by Vitra.

As we wrote in our initial post, Eames by Vitra presents a complete overview of the Charles and Ray Eames chair canon complemented by texts, photos and videos that explain the background to the Eames Studio.

It is not an exhibition that completely explains the creative phenomenon that was Charles and Ray Eames. But then it doesn’t set out to be.

It’s all about the chairs.

Eames by Vitra in Wasserschloss Klaffenbach is spread over three rooms, physically it is the only solution, however the positive side effect is to lead the visitor on a journey through the output of Charles and Ray Eames. Each room has its own atmosphere, its own character and this reflects on the exhibits, a fact which when combined with the open views from room to room, gives the impression of an exhibition that is much larger than it is.

And it isn’t large. It’s intense. But not voluminous.

But for all Eames by Vitra is inclusive, presenting as it does the Eames plywood, plastic and aluminium chair collections, in addition to the La Chaise lounger, wooden stools and of course the Eames Lounge Chair. There are also enough Eames Elephants on show to consider starting a Wasserschloss Klaffenbach Safari Park.

If we did have one complaint – we know, we know, what is the chances of us having a complaint! Imagine! Us! Complaints!!! – it would be that the first exhibit one sees is devoted to the Eames plastic chairs.

However not only does the Eames story begin chronologically with the plywood chairs; but understanding the Eames plywood chairs is central to understanding the complete Eames furniture oeuvre.

And so, for us, it would have made more sense to begin with the moulded plywood.

But that is probably just us.

And as ever we’re more than happy to let each visitor make up their own mind.

And then tell us that we are wrong.

Eames by Vitra runs at Wasserschloss Klaffenbach Chemnitz until April 9th 2013.

Full details can be found at www.wasserschloss-klaffenbach.de

And as before, in the interests of transparency Eames by Vitra is a co-production between the C³ Chemnitzer Veranstaltungszentren GmbH and (smow) Chemnitz.

A couple of years ago N.W.A. frontman Ice Cube shot a short celluloid tribute to Charles and Ray Eames. Without even having to use his AK …

We didn’t think anything more culturally acontextual could happen to the pair.

And now ?

On Thursday March 7th the exhibition “Eames by Vitra” opens at the Wasserschloß Klaffenbach in Chemnitz.

A Charles and Ray Eames exhibition. In Chemnitz.

Eames by Vitra. Here as seen at earlier presentation.

The story of Charles and Ray Eames as furniture designers starts with their collaborations with Hermann Miller. The story of Vitra starts when Willi Fehlbaum gets a fleeting glimpse from a taxi of an Eames by Herman Miller chair in a New York shop window. The rest, as they say…..

In contrast to the succession of events relayed in most Ice Cube tracks what began as a drive-by episode didn’t end with anyone runnin’, fallin’, yellin’ or indeed cussin’, but quickly developed into a mutually respectful, long-term relationship. A relationship that was much more than simple business; rather developed into a genuine friendship from which both parties profited and developed. Indeed Rolf Fehlbaum, son of Willi and current Vitra Chairman, still approaches important decisions with the philosophy “What would Charles and Ray say?”

Shortly after her father’s death Charles Eames’ daughter Lucia wrote: The trust which the Eames placed in Vitra was more than rewarded with the loyalty and commitment of the Fehlbaums. Rolf Fehlbaum kept the promise he made to Ray: to be the best global ambassador of Charles and Ray Eames’ ideas…

Part of that promise is the exhibition “Eames by Vitra”

Featuring the complete Charles and Ray Eames seating collection, complimented by examples of their tables and sideboards  “Eames by Vitra” is a comprehensive if compact introduction to the outpouring of creative energy that was unquestionably the most important design studio in the context of mid-20th century design.

In addition to the Eames furniture the exhibition also features photos, background texts, examples of Ray Eames’ graphic design and videos of and by Charles and Ray Eames, all of which helps place the pair and their canon in context of their age. A particular highlight is an example of the moulded plywood leg-splints Charles Eames created for the US Army – leg-splints which in effect started the whole story as they proved that Charles Eames’ moulding process not only worked but was suitable for serial production. It also brought the young Charles and Ray Eames some much needed cash.

In our interview with Antonio Citterio he describes Charles Eames as “…an incredible designer and visionary and without question one of the best from the 20th century.”

Viewing “Eames by Vitra” it is hard to disagree.

We’re fairly certain even a hardened Gangsta like Ice Cube would think twice before leaving the mean streets of 1980s South Central LA for South Central Sachsen. Even to view a Charles and Ray Eames exhibition. We however are going.

And when we do …… we’ll be postin’ Straight Outta Chemnitz.

“Eames by Vitra” can be viewed at the Wasserschloß Klaffenbach, Wasserschloßweg 6, 09123 Chemnitz from Friday March 8th until Sunday April 7th 2013.

Full details can be found at www.wasserschloss-klaffenbach.de

In the interest of transparency we must add that “Eames by Vitra at Wasserschloß Klaffenbach Chemnitz” is a co-production with (smow) Chemnitz.

Eames by Vitra. Again at an earlier presentation.

On December 15th 2012 Ray Bernice Alexandra Kaiser Eames would have celebrated her 100th birthday.

Born in Sacramento California, Ray Kaiser attended the May Friend Bennet School in Millbrook before in 1933 she moved to Manhattan where she studied painting under the  tutorship of the German Abstractionist Hans Hofmann; and consequently found herself at the centre of the burgeoning abstract art scene in late 1930s New York. A highpoint of which was her participation in the inaugural American Abstract Artists group exhibition in 1937.

In the summer of 1940 Ray Kaiser spent  four months at Cranbrook Academy of Art where, in addition to studying, she assisted Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen with their preparations for the New York Museum of Modern Art’s “Organic Furniture Competition.”

In 1941 Charles Eames and Ray Kaiser married.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Except of course. It isn’t.

The power and visual imagery of furniture design icons such as the Eames Lounge Chair or the Aluminium Chair Group make it all but impossible to imagine Charles and Ray Eames as separate entities. However, they were.

Following their wedding Charles and Ray Eames moved to Los Angeles to continue the research with moulded plywood Charles had began in Cranbrook with Eero Saarinen. Money being tight Charles took on freelance work, largely in the movie industry, while Ray continued with her artistic/graphic design pursuits creating covers for the avant-garde orientated magazine California Arts and Architecture. This period also saw Ray Eames create numerous textile designs including “Circles”, “Crosspatch” and the numerous variations on the “Dot Pattern”- all of which have recently been reissued by Mahram. Indeed the briefest of trawls through the Eames Archive produces a canon of work credited to Ray Eames that would suffice most designers for a whole career.

For Ray Eames it was however just the beginnings.

Over the years the relationship developed such that the borders between the two became ever more diffuse and by the 1950s all projects are officially Charles and Ray. Not least because they were. By popular convention Charles took on the technical aspects while Ray concentrated on the more aesthetic parts.

A particular good example is the so called “Eames House” the pair designed in 1949 as part of the California Arts and Architecture sponsored “Case Study House Program”. Ray Eames was responsible for the interior featuring a carefully considered mismatch of textiles, ornaments, junk, etc… A concept that although now understood as part of the Eames “Collage” philosophy, at the time was heavily criticised as standing in direct opposition to the ideals of Modernism that pair claimed to follow, and whose influence can be seen in the Eames House itself. With the benefit of 60 plus years hindsight one can now understand Ray’s intention as reclaiming the living space from the clinical control of modernism. Separating building from contents, architecture from design. Something which of course helped paved the way for what we, or at least Americans, understand today as mid-century modern. For which we can all be thankful.

And also means that, in effect, it is Ray Eames who we have to thank for all the playful objects one associates with Charles and Ray Eames, including most famously the Eames House Bird – the original of which stood in the Los Angeles Eames House.

(If we’re also to be thankful to Ray for indirectly inspiring Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec to create L’Oiseau is something for another post.)

Following the death of Charles Eames in 1978 Ray Eames immediately closed the Eames Studio and devoted herself to archiving the pairs work and collections.

Ray Eames died on August 21st 1988. Ten years to the day after her husband.

While obviously everyone is grateful for the objects, films, photos, etc that Ray and Charles Eames gave the world, it is also slightly regrettable that the individual talents of the two should be so heavily shrouded by their joint success.

And so we can think of no better way to celebrate Ray Eames’ centenary than by encouraging you all to investigate the works and talents of a remarkable artist and designer.

You wont be disappointed!

Happy 100th Birthday Ray Eames. here with her textile patter: "Dots"

The cover of "California Arts and Architecture, April 1943" by Ray Eames: Includes the start of the competition "Designs for Postwar Living

(Both images are taken from “The Work of Charles and Ray Eames: A Legacy of Invention”. Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/eames/bio.html Accessed 14.12.2012)

Until September 16th the Grassi Museum Leipzig is showing the Vitra Design Museum exhibition The Essence of Things: Design and the Art of Reduction.

And so keeping with the theme, we’ll keep our post reduced and simply link to our post from The Essence of Things: Design and the Art of Reduction at the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein.

Paul Weller is famously of the opinion that it’s ludicrous to expect him to sing songs today that he wrote as an 18 year old. His world view having, naturally, changed since then. Similarly, we don’t agree with everything we wrote back in 2010. But it still, largely, represents our views on the exhibition.

We suspect the reason we write so much about designer furniture in an airport context is simply because of the amount of time we spend in airports.

And consequently the amount of time we spend thinking about and analysing what we are being offered.

If you’re going to be delayed at Frankfurt for five hours. You want to make sure that your seat is comfy.

If you’re going to have to spend the night at Copenhagen Airport. You want to make sure your seat is comfy.

If you’re… you get the idea.

However it’s not just us who are spending ever more time at airports. The past decade has seen a dramatic rise in airline passenger numbers: and ever greater passenger numbers obviously means an ever greater demand for airports and airport infrastructure.

And as with all such architectural projects, the owners and operators want an interior that is as familiar as it is unique.

The biggest and most important trade fair for airport operators is Passenger Terminal Expo, and in addition to companies offering baggage handling and signage solutions, designer furniture producers such as Vitra or USM Haller are also a regular feature of the show.

Passenger Terminal Expo 2012 is being hosted by Vienna Airport, and ahead of the show we spoke to Pascal Berberat, Head of Vitra’s Airport Division, about airport furnishings, their collaboration with Alberto Meda and, most important for us, why seats in airports always have armrests? But started by asking why a globally active company such as Vitra needed a specialised airport division?

Pascal Berberat: The airport business is globally very uniform. Where, for example, the choice of home furnishings is often affected by cultural aspects; airports are very similar and have similar requirements regardless of where they are. And so where Vitra has an international network of agents and specialist dealers for home and office furniture, it makes more sense to have a central airport department. Plus an airport isn’t just departure lounges it is more like a small city, with shops, medical facilities, restaurants etc… so a wide range of zones where furniture is required. And so in that respect Vitra can offer a wide range of solutions and experience in all types of furnishings.

(smow)blog: Staying with departure lounges. What for you are the most important criteria for airport seating?

Pascal Berberat: For me it is about combining the, sometimes conflicting, requirements of the passengers need and right for well being with the airport or the operators need for efficiency.

(smow)blog: In that context. In addition to specifically created products such as the Airline Series from Sir Norman Foster, you also offer various Vitra classics from, for example, Maarten Van Severen as airport seating. Is that necessary? Why not just stick with one, specially created, product?

Pascal Berberat: Nowadays everybody is talking about ecology and sustainability. A topic which has been anchored in Vitra’s processes for decades. However, being actively engaged in sustainability doesn’t just mean using renewable resources, optimizing waste management, designing products with a long life cycle, etc. It is also about offering our clients products with a visual sustainability. We’re all guilty of having once thrown out an object that was still working or had been in good shape. We dumped it because it was out of fashion.
Through working with a variety of designers, in particular with the “old masters” like George Nelson, Jean Prouvé or Charles and Ray Eames we learn what is important to successfully develop products which are not only long lasting but also have a visual sustainability. Considering that 90% of CO2 emissions are generated during the manufacturing process of a product, what is more ecological: using a product for decades or replacing it every 5 years because it’s aesthetics seem to be outdated? Vitra’s history with the old masters combined with the freshness of  contemporary designers and engineers allow us to develop products with the potential to become classics of the future.

(smow)blog: Which leads nicely on to the next question. You recently worked with Alberto Meda on the Meda Gate series? Why Alberto Meda, who is after all best known for his office furniture ?

Pascal Berberat: Alberto Meda has worked on numerous projects with Vitra, and has created successful concepts for us in the past. Alberto Meda is a designer and engineer: which makes him perfect for the specific and particular demands of an airport seat. Thanks to Alberto Meda’s engineering excellence we now have in Meda Gate a product which not only responds to the extraordinary heavy use situation in airports; but also offers superior comfort in an very elegant aesthetic. Plus one has to add that in addition to his technical competence he is a very charismatic person and it is a real joy to work with him!

(smow)blog: To end. You’ve already said what you find important in airport chairs. Now its our turn. One thing that annoys us is armrests on chairs in airports. Why don’t you want to let us sleep?

Pascal Berberat: When people lie on benches at airports, one person takes up a whole bench. And then the airport’s capacity calculations don’t work. I have three seats, but only one user. And so instead we offer recliner elements within the Airline and Meda series for use in areas where airports expect higher numbers of transit passengers….

Vitra Airport Division. Here at Passenger Terminal Expo 2011 in Copenhagen

Meda Gate by Alberto Meda for Vitra

In addition to departure lounges airports also have VIP and Airline Lounges that need to be furnished. For example with Suita by Antonio Citterio.

Following our visits to the Bauhaus University Weimar, Fachhochschule Potsdam, Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee and  Universität der Künste Berlin the final stage of our 2011 summer tour was Burg Giebichenstein Halle.

It may just be us, but we are firmly of the belief that Burg Giebichenstein students complete more, and more varied, seminars than students at any of the other schools we visit.

At least based on the presentations at their end of year show.

Be it designing record sleeves, creating items based on the characteristics of fruits/vegetables or designing the lamp that Isamu Noguchi would design if he were still active today – every room of every building seems to house at least one exhibition.

If not two.

Among those that most caught our attention were “eine Bank für zwei” and “Bodenreform”

Eine Bank für zwei set students the challenge of designing a bench for two prominent “creatives” – be they designers, architects, musicians, actors, whatever. The aim being that the benches should represent both the character’s of the users and their relationship to one another in the form language and material choice.

A lovely little project that allowed the students the chance to explore how they understand the work and character of those people they have as references, which should then help them improve their own  techniques.

And allowed us the chance to enjoy the results.

Aside from delightful solutions for Gerrit Rietveld and Charles Eames or Konstantin Grcic and Dieter Rams the highlight for us was Elias Betka’s bench for Charles and Ray Eames: a double seater RAR. An idea that not only blew our socks off, but much more got us thinking about in how far Vitra can – or perhaps better put would – ever consider further developing the work of the Ray and Charles Eames.

Elias Betka's bench for Charles and Ray Eames, Burg Giebichenstein Halle 2011

Although Bodenreform was officially concerned with floors, floor-coverings and exploring the role of such in architecture and design, the project from the seminar that most appealed to us didn’t really seem to fit the remit.

As far as we could see.

A fact which of course didn’t detract from the genius of Hobo by Julian Heckel.

Reminiscent of some Victorian adaption of a painters easel for wandering poets, Hobo is, for us, a small table that folds flat to be carried as a backpack, and when opened can be lent against a tree or other free standing structure.

And used to help you ease your tortured soul by comparing your rejected love to a chaffinch struggling to open seed. Or similar

There is also a small seat. That didn’t appeal to us so much.

The table however is a delightful piece of work.

Elsewhere we really liked Ausgewachsen by Annika Marie Buchberger – with one small proviso.
Created for her masters thesis Ausgewachsen is a series of kids furniture where different elements can be placed on a universal base.

Nice idea, well executed.

Except as far as we could see the base comes in three sizes – and the legs aren’t exchangeable. Which means if you want to vary the heights of the objects, you have to have all three bases.

For us the better trick would be to have interchangeable legs.

Our view, and not one that distracted from our enjoyment of the project.

Another child centred project – and there were a lot of them on show, not sure if Halle is a particularly child heavy town or if Burg Giebischenstein students are just particularly fertile – was Igi by Constanze Hosp.

Igi by Constanze Hosp, Burg Giebichenstein Halle 2011

Parents wanting to travel with a young baby on a bike are limited to a trailer. Or the somewhat risky business of a conventional, body hung, child carrier.

Igi is in essence a hard case child carrier that allows you to cycle with your child securely strapped to your chest.

And not just cycling. Also for travelling in over crowded public transport Igi gives new parents that little bit more security an confidence.

Despite the many highlights at the Burg Giebichenstein exhibition one irritation did cloud our day – where was the product design Graduate show?

OK we’d already seen it at DMY, but had still arrived in Halle looking forward to getting a second chance, and maybe a little more time, to explore some of the products.

But high and wide there was neither sign of the Graduate show nor any one who could direct us to where it was.

Sadly.

However despite that fact the 2011 Burg Giebischetsein exhibition was a more than fitting end to our summer tour – and set us us up nicely for our Autumn marathon.

As is traditional we’ve created  a small facebook gallery at facebook.com/smowcom

And can anyone help us identity this ⇓ ?

An unidentified chair - a regular sight on the Burg Giebichenstein Halle campus

Tilbage i februar fejrede VitraHaus i Weil am Rhein sin første fødselsdag. Vi talte med Vitras chefdesigner Eckart Maise om VitraHaus og om planerne for fremtiden.

(smow)blog: VitraHaus er nu ét år gammelt, er du tilfreds med det første år?

Eckart Maise: Ja, VitraHaus har været en stor succes og ‘resonansen’ har været meget positiv, både med hensyn til antallet af besøgende samt den feedback vi har fået. Eksempelvis er besøgstallene for ‘Vitra Campus’ nu tredoblet i forhold til tiden før VitraHaus. Vi havde over 350.000 besøgende sidste år, hvilket bestemt overgik vores forventninger. Vi havde forventet et stigende besøgstal, men ikke i så høj grad.

(smow)blog: Er opmærksomheden omkring brandet Vitra ligeledes steget?

Eckart Maise: Ja, helt sikkert. Man kan eksempelvis måle det i form af antallet af artikler om VitraHaus i pressen. Jeg har været hos Vitra i 16 år, VitraHaus er den første nye bygning på Vitra Campus i lang tid, og man kan tydeligt se at pressedækningen er af helt andre dimensioner end når der f.eks. lanceres et nyt produkt.

(smow)blog: I hvor høj grad er Vitra-møbeldesignerne involveret i indretningen af selve VitraHaus?

Eckart Maise: Først og fremmest er det indvendige design organiseret af vores in-house team som består af flere designere og stylister. Indimellem er møbeldesignerne involveret hvis der er fokus på et bestemt produkt. Lige for tiden er Suita-sofaen udstillet, og i den forbindelse talte vi på forhånd med Antonio Citterio, lyttede til hans feedback og optimerede derefter et par forskellige områder. Mange af møbeldesignerne er i regelmæssigt kontakt med vores in-house indretningsarkitekter, og der foregår altid en udveksling af idéer.

VitraHaus Weil am Rhein

(smow)blog: Man lægger straks mærke til at der i VitraHaus også findes produkter fra, lad os sige, ikke-Vitra designere. Et eksempel på dette, som altid fanger vores opmærksomhed er Spin fra Tom Dixon …

Eckart Maise: .. Ja, det er et bevidst træk fra vores side. For os er ‘collagen’ den indretningsstrategi, som bedst passer til vores måde at tænke på. Det vil sige, at variationen af interiøret bliver en kvalitet i sig selv – også variationen i de enkelte ‘værkers’ oprindelse, og at rent Vitra interiør ikke nødvendigvis er det bedste. Derfor har vi her i VitraHaus netop tilbehør, belysning og tekstiler fra andre producenter, som komplimenterer Vitraprodukterne.

(smow)blog: Og så kan vi også forvente at forskellige designere i fremtiden vil få lov til at skabe egne rum i enkelte dele af VitraHaus?

Eckart Maise: Ja, vi er netop ved at planlægge dette, og det var faktisk planlagt helt fra starten, men ikke realiseret før nu. Vi ønsker ikke at være et museum, hvor der eksempelvis vises en udstilling af Bouroullec eller en udstilling af Citterio, men naturligvis er der mulighed for at bede de designere som aktivt er involveret i husets interiør, eksempelvis de to Bouroullec-brødre, om at skabe et rum på den betingelse, at det ikke skal være en monografi over deres værker, men i stedet en collage som også indeholder produkter fra andre Vitradesignere.

smow(blog): Så, eksempelvis, ‘her er et bud på hvordan man kunne indrette en hems på 20 kvadratmeter’?

Eckart Maise: … præcis. Der er flere forskellige muligheder, og vi håber at kunne begynde i de kommende måneder.

smow(blog): En yderlige udvidelse af Vitra Campus er Vitra Atelier. I øjeblikket kan man se, hvordan en Eames Lounge Chair er konstrueret, har du tænkt dig at udvide konceptet?

Eckart Maise: I princippet er det et fleksibelt koncept, men i øjeblikket vil det være begrænset til Eames’ Lounge Chair. Det vigtige for os, er at kunderne kan se det håndværk der er involveret i produktionen, og at det er lavet her i Weil am Rhein, og ikke i Kina eller andre steder for den sags skyld. Kunderne har også mulighed for at se, hvordan deres egen Lounge Chair er opbygget. De kan for eksempel komme til VitraHaus om morgenen, se hvordan den konstrueres, og tage den med hjem om eftermiddagen. Denne stol er formentlig et af de møbler som ejerne har den mest følelsesmæssige forbindelse til, og som spiller en central rolle i disses hjem, og netop derfor er det for os den perfekte genstand for Vitra Atelier.

Vitra Atelier - Vitra Campus Weil am Rhein

Vitra Eames DSR

Da vi for nylig var på en lille rejse fik vi øje på en ægte Eames fiberglasbænk fra Herman Miller i en lufthavn.  Tager man stedets ret begrænsede faciliteter i betragning, forekommer betegnelsen ‘lufthavn’ faktisk noget optimistisk, og vores hektiske fotografering af bænken og Herman Miller-klistermærkerne resulterede også i en del latter fra folk omkring os – altså folk, som bruger deres tid på at fotografere fly!!

Herefter, da vi var faldet lidt ned efter den hektiske fotografering, begyndte vi at reflektere lidt over Charles og Ray Eames og deres glasfiber/plaststole.

I mange år var Charles og Ray Eames optaget af idéen om en sædeskal som støttede kroppen optimalt, og efter flere forgæves forsøg med krydsfinér og aluminiumsplader vendte parret tilbage til fiberglas. Charles havde sammen med sin ven og mentor Eero Saarinen skabt ‘Organic Chair‘, også kendt som ‘The Conversation Chair’ (‘Samtalestolen’), i forbindelse med konkurrencen ‘Organic Design in Home Furnishings’ i 1940 på Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) i New York.

Det var dog først i slutningen af 1940′erne at produktionsteknologien kom til at fungere således at det kunne betale sig, rent økonomisk, at fremstille stolene i et passede stort antal. I 1950 blev de to fiberglasstole, begge revolutionære for deres tid, tilgængelige på markedet – A-skallen med armlæn og S-skallen uden.

Vitra Eames PACC

Det helt geniale ved Charles og Ray Eames og deres design kommer dog først i deres næste designfase. Efter at have designet de to sædeskaller, fremstilles der herefter en række basisstel til at placere skallerne på – et wirestel, et træstel, et ‘X-stel’ af forkromet stål, samt et stel på kuglehjul, og i 1955 blev samlingen udvidet med et stålstel der var egnet til stabling. Således skabte Charles og Ray Eames en familie af stole, hvor stellet kan tilpasses efter både hvor og hvordan stolen anvendes, mens selve sædet forbliver den samme velkendte model.
Eames skabte ligeledes en vidunderligt simpel terminologi for deres fiberglasstole. Eksempelvis har ‘Eames DSR – Dining height Side chair Rod base’ og ‘Eames DSW – Dining height Side chair Wood base’ samme S-skal, men forskellige typer stel. Tilsvarende kan steltypen hos DSX, PACC eller DAW ligeledes udledes af navnet.

I 1957 fik Vitra licens til at producere Eamesmøbler i Europa, og på dette tidspunkt var rækken af glasfiberstole allerede på vej til at blive en ægte møbelklassisker i det 20. århundrede.

Vitra Eames RAR

I 1992 skiftede Herman Miller og Vitra produktionsmaterialet ud, og gik fra glasfiber over til i stedet at fremstille stolene i det miljøvenlige plastmateriale polypropylen. Design og form forbliver uændret, mens de miljømæssige konsekvenser af produktionen reduceres. Med deres høje, fleksible rygstøtter, dybe ‘sidelommer’ og vandfaldslignende frontkant tilbyder plastikstolen fra Eames en komfortabel siddeoplevelse, både hvis det blot drejer sig om et par minutter på kontoret, ved spisebordet under aftensmaden eller ved et længerevarende arrangement.
Charles og Ray Eames kunne gennem denne stoleserie realisere et af deres vigtigste mål for design: “Det meste af det bedste, til det største antal mennesker, for så lidt som muligt”  (“The most of the best to the greatest number of people for the least”)

(smow) tilbyder følgende udgaver af plasticstolene fra Eames:

Eames DSR : Dining Height Side Chair Rod Base (Spisebordsstol med wirestel)

Eames RAR : Rocking Armchair Rod Base (Gyngestol med armlæn og wirestel )

Eames DSX : Dining Height Side Chair X-Base (Spisebordsstol med X-stel af stål)

Eames DAW : Dining Height Armchair Wooden Base (Spisebordsstol med armlæn og træstel)

Eames DAR : Dining Height Armchair Rod Base (Spisebordsstol med armlæn og wirestel)

Eames DSW : Dining Height Side Chair Wood Base (Spisebordsstol med træstel)

Eames DAX : Dining Height Armchair X-Base (Spisebordsstol med armlæn og X-stel af stål)

Eames DSS-N/DSS : Dining Height Side Chair Stacking Base (Spisebordsstol med X-stel af stål, kan stables)

Eames PACC : Pivot Armchair Cast Base on Castors (Kontorstol med armlæn og kuglehul)

Eames PSCC : Pivot Side Chair Cast Base on Castors (Kontorstol uden armlæn, med kuglehjul)