Eames EA217 – Here to Stay

Basically, the shape and structure of the Eames EA 217 soft pad chair is identical to that of the Aluminum Group Chairs (Eames EA 117, Eames EA 118 and Eames EA 119). All of these chairs bear the unmistakable mark of the 20^th century’s formidable design geniuses, Charles and Ray Eames.

By authority of the design masters Charles and Ray Eames, you can now have your own Eames classic whose design had withstood the test of time for more than half a century already.

You can now have the Eames EA217 Germany in six weeks made to order for you. The current manufacturer gives you a luxurious and highly functional chair that would be perfect for offices, conference rooms, meeting rooms, reception room, conference rooms, meeting rooms, reception rooms and in working homes.     

Standout features

Like the standard Eames chairs with their own list of features, the office chairs by Charles and Ray Eames have their own outstanding features, unique to its build. The chair, fitting for an office, or conference rooms or meeting rooms

In a typical designer office chair, the design features its soft padded back rest and is modeled after the shape of the user’s spine. This Eames low back chair reproduction has a beautiful swing, tilt and height which are all adjustable.

It evolved from the Eames Aluminum group that included furniture designed by the husband-and-wife team.  They are all comfortable and crucial. The Eames soft pad white chair brings the appeal and confidence to offices, conference rooms, boardrooms, receptions and home studies.

Materials

With a formidable name like Eames, the EA 217 is made especially for the customer with the use of the finest materials and impeccable craftsmanship. The lead time (6 weeks) is for your guidance and can be subject to change, with delivery worldwide.

This stitched leather upholstery renders the work softer and more comfortable. Side by side, the Eames EA 217 makes for a very interesting contrast with the slim aluminum profile. The present manufacturer (Vitra) grants a 30-year guarantee on all the chairs on the Soft Pad Group. 

The backward tilt mechanism can be regulated and set in the forward-most position. This is a fully adjustable seat height through the pneumatic spring.   

Finishes

The backrest and the seat are upholstered in polyurethane foam with three stitched-on cushions in leather. The side profile and the clamping bracket are in die-cast aluminum. The arm rest are also in die-cast aluminum.

Die-cast aluminum five-star base has black casters with chrome-plated finish. The soft casters are for hard floors.

Classic design

In their quest to perfect the look and functionality of the contemporary office chair, Charles and Ray Eames followed tow parallel paths within their design. On the one hand, it is lightweight and luxurious on the other. The EA 217 from 1969 is where these tow design paths crossed and is the ideal compromise.

The feel is just right when it features a lightweight aluminum with traditional, soft leather padding. It looks just right, too, smart-looking, minimal but also inviting with its carefully crafted body. The Eames EA217 Germany is here to stay.

Barcelona Chair – Timeless Quality

The Barcelona Chair Germany was originally created as part of the showcase in the German Pavilion during the 1929 international exposition in Barcelona, Spain. Since then, the beauty and the functional elegance of the chair caught the world’s eye and which had never been duplicated since even up to this day.

The chair, a cushion sewn from 148 pieces of leather, was created by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and interior designer Lilly Reich as commissioned by Georg von Schnitzel (the German pavilion commissioner). The chair is set upon on chrome-finish legs to become one of the most celebrated designs in the exposition.

The look

The extravagant buttoned leather seat does not really conform to the designer’s orientation of the customary Bauhaus approach which emphasizes function over that of form. It was only because it was going to be used by Spain’s King Alfonso in the Barcelona expo that designer Mies van der Rohe had to make it extravagant enough for royalty.

The form of the chair was thought to have been mirrored from the Roman folding chairs used by the Roman aristocracy. The chair’s crossed legs mimicked the thrones of the Egyptian pharaohs. According to its modern manufacturer today, the chair’s industrial appearance required much hand craftsmanship.

 Instant Classic

The Barcelona Chair Germany is often mistaken as a product to represent the mid-century modernism, although it is a commissioned work in an effort to talk-up Germany’s political and economic recovery from their defeat in the First World War. Schnitzel hires Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich to give “voice to the spirit of a new world era”.

Mies is regarded as a modern pioneer of modern furniture with a deceptively simple style with clean lines and using modern materials. He usually used plate glass and stainless steel which he referred to as the “skin and bones: architecture. 

What he created, the chair named after the city of Barcelona, became one of the oldest modern classics still around to this day.

When Reich died in 1948, Mies van de Rohe granted the Knoll Company the rights to produce the furniture. Its welded stainless steel replacing the bolted frame became widely popular in the 50s and 60s. Knoll patented the chair only in 2004, the reason why there are many replicas in the market today.

Redesign

Mies redesigned the Barcelona in 1950 using modern techniques that allowed the frame to be molded from a single piece of stainless steel (compared to the old style where they are bolted together). The original pigskin seat had been replaced with cow leather which Knoll still produces today.

While it is a mass-produced item, the upholstery consists of 40 individual panels from a single hide, so it has the qualities of a hand-made piece. This might be one reason that goes in some way to account for its price which is around £4,500 currently.

For all its humble history, the Barcelona Chair Germany is unmistakably modern in its looks while retaining its classic quality. Still judging from its looks, the chair is here to stay.