'Getting the most of the best to the greatest number of people for the least': with these words, Charles and Ray Eames described one of their main goals as furniture designers. None of their other designs come as close to achieving this ideal as the Plastic Chairs. For years, the designer couple explored the fundamental idea of a one-piece seat shell moulded to fit the contours of the human body. After experiments with plywood and sheet aluminium in the 1940s produce unsatisfactory results, their search for alternative materials led them to glass-fibre reinforced polyester resin.
The Eameses recognised and fully exploited the advantages of the material: mouldability, rigidity, pleasant tactile qualities, suitability for industrial manufacturing methods. With this material, which was previously unknown in the furniture industry, they successfully developed the shell designs for serial production. After their debut at the 'Low-Cost Furniture Design' competition organised by the Museum of Modern Art in 1948, the Plastic Armchair (A-shell) and Plastic Side Chair (S-shell) were launched on the market in 1950 as the very first mass-produced plastic chairs in the history of furniture.
The Eames Plastic Chairs also introduced a new furniture typology that has since become widespread: the multifunctional dining chair whose shell can be joined with a variety of different bases to serve diverse purposes. As early as 1950, Charles and Ray Eames presented a series of bases that enabled various sitting positions. An especially striking model is the so-called Eiffel Tower base – an intricate and graceful design made of steel rod that inimitably combines light, elegant forms with structural strength.
Over the years Vitra have worked hard to ensure that these principles are maintained. Offering a very wide range of customisation options, allied to premium manufacturing quality, iconic design meets personalised comfort. With sustainable seat shells made from post-consumer plastic and a wide selection of colours and upholstery versions, the Eames Plastic Chair Collection offer the perfect combination of beauty, comfort and eco-conscious design. With a simplified pricing structure, these timeless pieces are more affordable than ever.
Pricing: Dining Chairs
Starting price: Side chair, rod base - £295 Side chair: add £100 for seat pad - £395 Side chair: add £150 for upholstery - £445
Add £100 to starting price for Armchair - £395 Armchair: add £100 for seat pad - £495 Armchair: add £150 for upholstery - £545
Add £150 to all prices for wood base Eg: Side chair, wood base - £445 Eg: Armchair, seat pad, wood base - £645 Eg: Armchair, with upholstery, wood base - £695
In 2016, Vitra added roughly 20 mm to the base height of the Eames Plastic Chairs DSX, DAX, DSR, DAR, DSW and DAW while adapting the seat geometry accordingly. These revisions, which are aesthetically almost imperceptible, increase the comfort of this classic chair design, especially in combination with contemporary tables.
Materials are of utmost importance to Vitra, as their sourcing, processing and use in products account for around 80% of the company's carbon footprint. That is why they should be as sustainable and have as little environmental impact as possible. One way to achieve this goal is recycling: waste is thus kept in the cycle as a valuable raw material and reused to manufacture durable products.
All seat shells of the Eames Plastic Chairs by Vitra are made from post-consumer recycled plastic. The recycled material for the shells of the Eames Plastic Chairs RE comes from German household waste collected in the 'Der Gelbe Sack' (Yellow Bag) system and primarily from used packaging. Using this recyclate in place of the previous primary plastic results in fewer climate-damaging emissions and consumes less energy. Due to the composition of the recycled material, the different colour variations of the seat shells are interspersed with tiny specks of pigment.
