Chair: 500 Designs That Matter

Explore This Collection of the World’s Most Innovative and Inventive Chairs

Phaidon has released a book that collects 500 essential, and incredibly varied, different designs of one of the most versatile platforms for design experimentation and innovation of any everyday object: the chair. Chair: 500 Designs That Matter charts chairs from designers all over the world and across time, among them Marcel Breuer, Lina Bo Bardi, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Hella Jongerius, Marc Newson, Gerrit Reitveld and Hans Wegner, as well as many others. Their smart survey considers material, texture, colour, shape and technology, and makes for a unique imprint of design history from an interesting perspective.

“Throughout history, the chair has presented designers the world over with infinite opportunities to experiment with new methods and materials within the set parameters of an object that is primarily there to serve a practical purpose. Chair: 500 Designs that Matter celebrates the humble chair as never before, from early examples to today’s cutting-edge creations. It invites you to sit back and be taken on a journey through the creative imaginations of hundreds of internationally renowned designers.”

“Curated with professionals and aficionados in mind, each chair has been chosen either for its innovative design, the ground-breaking material, the technology used in its production, or its unusual shape, colour or texture. This expansive book includes zig-zag chairs and ball chairs; chairs made from waste pleated paper and chairs composed of stuffed cuddly toys; chairs in the shape of ponies, coconuts, eggs and ants; chairs made of glass and hemp; luminous chairs; antique Gothic chairs, and even chairs you can spin around in.”

Table Bench Chair, 2009
Designed by Kim Colin & Sam Hecht
Brand: Established & Sons