World famous architect and designer Frank Gehry for Vitra Iconic “Easy Edges” Chair c.1980s. Designed 1970-1972.

A hard to find, super cool, stylish and stunningly designed Frank Gehry iconic chair designed 1970-1972 as part of the Frank Gehry original 1970s “Easy Edges” furniture collection and produced by Frank Gehry for Vitra in the 1980s. This famous chair is a design icon, created by one of the world’s greatest living architects, Frank Gehry.

This beautiful chair, that defies the laws of construction, was initially offered for sale for only 2 years in the 1970s. Production of the Frank Gehry “Easy Edges” collection resumed in 1982 when Frank Gehry for Vitra reissued four central pieces including this chair design. This chair is an example of the Frank Gehry for Vitra production from 1982 and is dated c.1980s and is no longer in production. This remarkable chair is not only a design classic and show piece but is also very comfortable. The very clever design allows the back of the chair to flex backwards slightly, cushioning the back of the sitter.

This chair was developed from Gehry’s experimentation with new construction techniques in furniture from the 1960s which grew from using cardboard extensively in his architectural models. With his furniture series he managed to give a new aesthetic dimension to materials as commonplace as cardboard. The technique involved using thick sheets of laminated corrugated cardboard bonded together, similar to the way in which chipboard is made. This resulted in an extremely robust and stable chair. Famously, Frank Gehry supported a Volkswagen Beetle on all four wheels with these chairs to show their incredible strength.

Frank Gehry is an American/Canadian and has been instrumental in changing the nature and spirit of contemporary architecture and has designed many groundbreaking buildings across the world including the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. He has also had a prolific career designing cutting edge objects from furniture to jewellery.

Examples of Frank Gehry’s “Easy Edges” chairs can be found in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. This chair is therefore more akin to a piece of sculpture or an art object given its wonderful design provenance. Perfect as a statement design piece in a contemporary interior or as a ‘clash piece’ to add edge/contrast to a period setting!

Frank Gehry

There are generally no makers marks on the chairs from this period. It is a c.1980s model from the Frank Gehry “Easy Edges” furniture collection produced by Vitra. The dark gold colour and velvety patina further confirms that it is an early c.1980s example. Later examples are paler in colour.

Designed 1970-1972 and produced from 1982 and dated c.1980s. No longer in production.

The technique involved using thick sheets of laminated corrugated cardboard bonded together, similar to the way in which chipboard is made. This resulted in an extremely robust and stable chair. Famously, Frank Gehry supported a Volkswagen Beetle on all four wheels with these chairs to show their incredible strength. The sides of the chair are made from laminated hard board.

In excellent condition commensurate with its age and use. There are some watermarks and marks on the hard fibre board edges as photographed. The hard fibre board at the base of one of the back legs has been creased very slightly. The base of the front of the chair has a very small area that has been push in slightly. The cardboard has also been very slightly parted on the underneath of the back legs. Please see photographs.

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United Kingdom £45.00

Europe £185.00

United States and Canada £675.00

The Rest of the World £375.00