Organic Chair Highback

Few objects in the history of furniture design have had as great an impact as the Organic Chairs designed by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen in 1940 for the famous competition 'Organic Design in Home Furnishings', which was organised by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Although wartime conditions prevented these models from entering production, they are direct predecessors of many chair designs which established the international reputations of Charles and Ray Eames (as well as Eero Saarinen) during the 1940s and '50s, and which also had a lasting influence on the development of design.

After introducing a re-edition of the Organic Armchair in 2004, Vitra now presents the Organic Chair Highback at the 2007 Milan Furniture Fair. With regard to their materials, construction and the choice of upholstery fabrics, both models are essentially the same – the difference lies in their shape and dimensions. This is most evident in the elongated backrest of the Organic Chair Highback, whose upper section was moulded into a neck support by Eames and Saarinen. The seat surface and armrests of the Highback are also more generously proportioned: They are wider and longer in comparison to the standard Organic Armchair, thereby emphasising the lounging characteristics of the new model.