Eames’ Famous Shell Chair Gets A Quiet Yet Full-Bodied Overhaul
Image via Herman Miller
The Eames Shell Chair needs no introduction. In settings where armchairs are too buttoned-up and stools are too lazy, this chair claims its place, thanks to its simplicity and pocket-friendly prices. One could say this iconic piece of furniture is deep-seated in the world of interior design.
The new Molded Plastic Chair looks and feels exactly the same, but it’s fundamentally different. This one needs an introduction, as it’s fully overhauled with 100% recycled plastic.
Have a seat—we’re only getting started.
With 100% post-industrial recycled plastic in its framework, the reconstructed Shell Chair will apparently breathe new life to 122 tons of plastic each year, as well as drive down the lineup’s annual carbon footprint by 15%, according to Forbes.
For a little history lesson, the Shell Chair first made its appearance in 1948 as an entry at the Museum of Modern Art’s International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design, which challenged participants to design a chair with a one-piece seat and back that could be mass-produced. Ray and Charles Eames fulfilled this brief and impressed the judges with their novel design of a metal shell chair.
However, the metal later turned out to be too expensive for scaling up, so the Eameses turned to fiberglass. When that was discovered to be detrimental to the climate, the material was replaced polypropylene, before being switched back to an improved fiberglass.
Now, the latest iteration of the Eames Shell Chair reuses plastic that can even be recycled at its end of life. Even better, Herman Miller promises that all this comes without sacrificing the soft-matte feel, quality, or durability of the original.
In line with the modernization, the chair now arrives in nine eye-popping colors, namely Blue Green, Brick Red, Cocoa, Deep Yellow, Evergreen, Gray Green, Light Gray, Medium Gray, and Pale Blue.
The chair retails from US$295, and it is now available online and at Herman Miller’s retail stores.
[via Forbes and Fast Company, images via Herman Miller]
