Classic chair made of metal & wood
Designed in 1934, the Standard Chair is one of the silent classics of design history. Today, the characteristic Vitra chair by Jean Prouvé is once again enjoying great popularity.
Inspired by the furniture competition for the Cité Universitaire in Nancy, Jean Prouvé had been working on designs combining metal and wood in the early 1930s. For the base of the Standard Chair, he used the strength of steel. The backrest and seat, on the other hand, which come into direct contact with the body, he had made of molded plywood.
Resilient chair
One idea was crucial to the characteristic shape of the Prouvé Standard Chair: the load on a chair is greatest at the back legs, where it has to support the weight of the upper body. Designer and constructor Jean Prouvé applied this simple insight to the Standard chair in a concise manner: While a steel tube is sufficient for the front legs, which are subject to weaker loads, the rear legs of the Vitra Standard Chair are designed as voluminous hollow bodies that transfer the load to the floor.
The Vitra Standard SP Chair is the more modern version of the classic chair from 1934: Vitra now makes the seat and backrest from plastic. The quality of the Vitra Standard SP is revealed in the convincing logic of its construction and the self-evidence of its aesthetics.
The Vitra Standard chair is still available on request in the classic version with seat and backrest made of wood.