Saarinen Executive Side Chair With Wood Legs

Design Eero Saarinen, 1957
Wood legs, polyurethane shell, upholstery
Made in USA by Knoll

In his groundbreaking collection of 1957, Eero Saarinen transformed executive seating into a fluid, sculptural form. Recognizing the importance of user comfort, Saarinen became the first to construct a chair shell from fiberglass, a pliable material that flexes in response to body weight. The chair is available with and without arms, and features metal or wood legs, or a swivel base. The armless chair with a plastic back, ideal for café applicatons, is a recent reintroduction.

Son of the celebrated architect Eliel Saarinen, Eero was classically trained in sculpture and architecture. His collaboration with Charles Eames in 1937 led to the creation of the Organic Armchair, made from plywood and foam rubber, the first three-dimensionally shaped bucket armchair. Saarinen continued to develop this theme in the years that followed with great designs, all for Knoll. Among the many buildings for which he is known are Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., and the TWA terminal at Kennedy International Airport in New York.

side chair: 22.5″ w | 20.5″ d | 31.5″ h | seat: 18.75″ h