Harry Bertoia’s 1950 experiment with bending metal rods into practical art produced a revered collection of seating, including this side chair. Innovative, comfortable and strikingly handsome, the chair’s delicate filigree appearance belies its strength and durability. In Bertoia’s own words, “If you look at these chairs, they are mainly
made of air, like sculpture. Space passes through them.” The chair is offered unupholstered, with a cowhide seat and back, with a seat cushion or full-cover upholstery option.
Base and basket:- Welded steel with rods in polished or satin chrome, or highly durable outdoor power coat (red, yellow, green, blue, white, black).
- The diameter of the base
rods are 11mm. The diameter of the edge rods is 4.5 mm and the interlacements measure 4mm. The chair features stainless steel connections and plastic glides.
Outdoor use:- With proper care and limited exposure to the elements, the Bertoia collection is appropriate for outdoor environments.
- Specify outdoor powder coat (red, yellow, green, blue, black, white).
Italian sculptor, university lecturer and furniture designer Harry Bertoia displayed a unique stroke of genius with his patented Diamond Chair for Knoll International in 1952. Bertoia was an inventor of form and an enricher of furniture design with his introduction of a new material: he turned industrial wire rods into a design icon. Educated at Detroit Technical High School, the Detroit School of Arts and Crafts and Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Bertoia taught metal crafts at Cranbrook. He worked with Charles Eames to develop his signature molded plywood chairs. Eero Saarinen commissioned him to design a metal sculptured screen for the General Motors Technical Center in Detroit. His awards include the craftsmanship medal from the American Institute of Architects, as well as AIA’s Gold Medal.
The Bertoia Side Chair is available on Knoll's 20 Day Program in Chrome finish unupholstered chairs and seat cushions with in-stock KnollTextiles.
Limit of 10 chairs per order.
The Following Textiles are generally in stock:
Grade A
- Common Ground
- Mariner
Grade B
- Classic Boucle
- Ingot
- Vinyl
Grade G
- Ultrasuede
Grade U
- Volo Leather
Black
Toas
Configurations not on Quickship have a 8-12 week lead time