The womb chair remains one of the most celebrated representations of mid-century modernism. The neo-futuristic, organic form of the Womb Chair stands for sublime elegance. Although the chair looks like a masterpiece of modern art, it is fully functional and very comfortable.
Story
The Womb Chair was designed by Eero Saarinen, a legendary Finnish-American architect and industrial designer, and Florence Knoll, an American architect and furniture designer who studied under the direction of the legendary Mies van der Rohe. The history of their collaboration on the chair dates back to the early 1940s, when Saarinen received a brief from Knoll stating, “I want a chair that’s like a basket of pillows that you roll up and you sit in.” can read a book.”
Needless to say, he rose to the challenge. However, Saarinen has always been fascinated by materials and shapes, striving to achieve seating comfort through the shape of the chair rather than the depth of its upholstery. The final design came into the limelight in 1946. Well received by critics and the general public, the Womb Chair was an instant hit. It is still commercially available and has been manufactured under the Knoll brand since 1948.
design
“I designed the Womb Chair because it seemed like a large and very comfortable chair needed to replace the old, overcrowded chair. Today more than ever we need to relax. “This 1948 quote by Eero Saarinen fully acknowledges the fact that the Womb Chair was designed to offer maximum comfort to its users. The shape of the chair is adapted to the curvature of the human body. Saarinen had worked on a number of different prototypes and scale models before arriving at the ideal form that would not prevent the user from assuming various positions. He developed the one-piece shell that nestles around the person sitting in it and gives the chair its famously cozy, intimate atmosphere and sense of security – hence the name “The Womb Chair”. The bowl’s sophisticated shape required the use of new materials and advanced manufacturing processes that were in their infancy in the 1940s. As a material, Saarinen chose the composite of fiberglass and resin, which could be molded into the desired shape. After a long and careful search, Eero and Florence found a New Jersey boat builder who was experimenting with the fiberglass-resin composite. They managed to convince him to take part in the manufacture of the Womb Chair. Florence Knoll later recalled: “The boat builder was very skeptical at first. We just asked him. I think we were so young and so excited that he finally gave in and started working with us. We had many problems and failures until they finally got a working chair. “
The high level of comfort is due to the high-density foam, which is then covered with the KnollTextiles fabric padding, available in three different finishes: Classic Bouclé (52% wool, 48% nylon), Cato (86% wool, 14% viscose) and Sonnet (100% polyester). Although the original review referred to a “basket full of cushions,” the actual chair only has two cushions on the seat shell and backrest. The bowl is attached to the four-legged base, which consists of bent steel rods and is equipped with stainless steel and nylon glides at the ends. The base is finished with the chrome plating. In order to achieve the highest level of comfort and relaxation, customers can combine the womb chair with the matching ottoman. The ottoman is made from the same materials and processes and is a perfect complement to the chair.
In summary, Saarinen and Knoll’s iconic design not only caters to the physiological needs, but also appeals to the most sublime tastes of every aesthete. Its innovative, futuristic design, paired with the impeccable build quality, have given the chair a very special place in the history of interior design.
