Description
This model in Rigid polyurethane foam is the original version marketed under the name Panton Chair CLASSIC: it's the same material as the first models marketed in the late 60s. The Panton Chair is also available in a less expensive version in Polypropylene, faithful to the original model.
Treat yourself to an iconic ORIGINAL from Vitra. An original will always retain its value. It will b ...
Treat yourself to an iconic ORIGINAL from Vitra. An original will always retain its value. It will b ...
This model in Rigid polyurethane foam is the original version marketed under the name Panton Chair CLASSIC: it's the same material as the first models marketed in the late 60s. The Panton Chair is also available in a less expensive version in Polypropylene, faithful to the original model.
Treat yourself to an iconic ORIGINAL from Vitra. An original will always retain its value. It will be with you all your life and will outlive you, being passed on to the next generation.
Danish architect and designer Verner Panton (1926 - 1998) is considered one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. Throughout his career, this leading figure of Scandinavian design created innovative, futuristic objects that still inspire the most avant-garde designers today. His style, typical of the 60's and 70's, is still marked by great modernity.
The Panton chair was designed by Verner Panton in 1959. Today, this chair is an icon of 20th-century design. It has won numerous international design awards and is part of the permanent collections of famous museums. The Panton Chair was the first one-piece plastic chair. Extremely difficult to produce because of its cantilevered shape, the chair has gone through several production stages since its launch. The Panton Chair Classic is the original version in Rigid polyurethane foam with high-gloss lacquer finish. The cantilever structure, combined with a form adapted to the body and a soft material, give the chair great seating comfort.
It was in the late 1950s that Danish designer Verner Panton developed the idea of a plastic cantilever chair. However, no manufacturer showed any interest in this daring concept. Willi Fehlbaum, the founder of Vitra, found the idea interesting, but saw no immediate possibility of realizing it. When Rolf Fehlbaum, Head of Product Development, returned enthusiastically from a visit to Verner Panton, he finally approved.
Verner Panton said: ''One day, Rolf Fehlbaum (the son of Vitra's founding family) came to visit us and saw a prototype of the Panton Chair. He wasn't stable enough to sit in it. "Why isn't this chair being made?" asked Rolf. I replied, "Fifteen to twenty manufacturers tried their hand at it but, for various reasons, they all refused to produce it." One renowned American designer - it wasn't Eames - even declared that this kind of object shouldn't be called a 'chair', claiming that it wasn't made to sit on." Rolf immediately called Manfred Diebold, a technician at Vitra. [...] Without Rolf, the Panton Chair wouldn't exist. ''
And so, in 1963, Vitra embarked on the development of one of the most iconic and celebrated chairs of the 20th century. The challenge proved almost impossible, as the bold shapes imagined by the designer had to be reconciled with the physical limits of plastics technology and the demands of production techniques. Years of intensive research, testing, developing and abandoning prototypes followed. The definitive shape of the chair was finally worked out through a series of ten prototypes in hand-laminated, fiberglass-reinforced polyester.
In 1967, the Panton Chair could be produced in a small preliminary series of 150 pieces, in cold-molded, fiberglass-reinforced polyester. It was the first all-plastic monoblock chair with a cantilevered structure. With its sculptural shape and Panton's characteristic bright colors, it caused a sensation. However, the costly and complex process could not keep up with demand. After further successful trials with a new rigid polyurethane foam from Bayer, actual series production by injection molding began in 1968. While this enabled larger quantities to be produced, it still required tedious manual finishing.
Verner Panton and Vitra continued to search for better alternatives. They believed they had found a promising solution in a new Thermoplastic material developed by BASF. However, the material turned out to be less durable than initially thought, causing the chairs to break and damaging Vitra's image. Production was therefore suspended in 1979. At Vitra, the shock of this quality problem had lasting effects for years to come. However, interest in the Panton Chair persisted throughout this time. Vitra resumed production in 1990 - reverting to unbreakable, but intricately finished, Rigid polyurethane foam.
Advances in plastics technology, and in particular the new possibilities of injection molding, prompted Vitra and Panton to revisit the issue in the 1990s. A new version of the Panton Chair in Polypropylene was developed. Thus, thirty years after the start of mass production, one of Panton's key objectives had finally been achieved: the Plastic Chair as an affordable industrial product. Verner Panton died shortly before the presentation in 1999.
Vitra places a high priority on investment in innovation. The combination of the company's technical know-how and the creativity of leading designers enables the limits of creation to be surpassed. At the same time, Vitra is constantly updating design classics with designers or their descendants, conforming to original archived documents - so that they can meet the needs of today's users.
In this spirit, Vitra produces two models of this chair: the Panton Chair Classic, in Rigid polyurethane foam with a glossy surface, and the Panton Chair with a matt surface structure. In 2007, the Panton Junior children's chair was added, based on the designer's original plans.
Due to the high quality of Vitra's originals, the manufacturer offers a 10-year warranty (register your product on the dedicated website to benefit from the extended warranty).
Treat yourself to an iconic ORIGINAL from Vitra. An original will always retain its value. It will be with you all your life and will outlive you, being passed on to the next generation.
Danish architect and designer Verner Panton (1926 - 1998) is considered one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. Throughout his career, this leading figure of Scandinavian design created innovative, futuristic objects that still inspire the most avant-garde designers today. His style, typical of the 60's and 70's, is still marked by great modernity.
The Panton chair was designed by Verner Panton in 1959. Today, this chair is an icon of 20th-century design. It has won numerous international design awards and is part of the permanent collections of famous museums. The Panton Chair was the first one-piece plastic chair. Extremely difficult to produce because of its cantilevered shape, the chair has gone through several production stages since its launch. The Panton Chair Classic is the original version in Rigid polyurethane foam with high-gloss lacquer finish. The cantilever structure, combined with a form adapted to the body and a soft material, give the chair great seating comfort.
It was in the late 1950s that Danish designer Verner Panton developed the idea of a plastic cantilever chair. However, no manufacturer showed any interest in this daring concept. Willi Fehlbaum, the founder of Vitra, found the idea interesting, but saw no immediate possibility of realizing it. When Rolf Fehlbaum, Head of Product Development, returned enthusiastically from a visit to Verner Panton, he finally approved.
Verner Panton said: ''One day, Rolf Fehlbaum (the son of Vitra's founding family) came to visit us and saw a prototype of the Panton Chair. He wasn't stable enough to sit in it. "Why isn't this chair being made?" asked Rolf. I replied, "Fifteen to twenty manufacturers tried their hand at it but, for various reasons, they all refused to produce it." One renowned American designer - it wasn't Eames - even declared that this kind of object shouldn't be called a 'chair', claiming that it wasn't made to sit on." Rolf immediately called Manfred Diebold, a technician at Vitra. [...] Without Rolf, the Panton Chair wouldn't exist. ''
And so, in 1963, Vitra embarked on the development of one of the most iconic and celebrated chairs of the 20th century. The challenge proved almost impossible, as the bold shapes imagined by the designer had to be reconciled with the physical limits of plastics technology and the demands of production techniques. Years of intensive research, testing, developing and abandoning prototypes followed. The definitive shape of the chair was finally worked out through a series of ten prototypes in hand-laminated, fiberglass-reinforced polyester.
In 1967, the Panton Chair could be produced in a small preliminary series of 150 pieces, in cold-molded, fiberglass-reinforced polyester. It was the first all-plastic monoblock chair with a cantilevered structure. With its sculptural shape and Panton's characteristic bright colors, it caused a sensation. However, the costly and complex process could not keep up with demand. After further successful trials with a new rigid polyurethane foam from Bayer, actual series production by injection molding began in 1968. While this enabled larger quantities to be produced, it still required tedious manual finishing.
Verner Panton and Vitra continued to search for better alternatives. They believed they had found a promising solution in a new Thermoplastic material developed by BASF. However, the material turned out to be less durable than initially thought, causing the chairs to break and damaging Vitra's image. Production was therefore suspended in 1979. At Vitra, the shock of this quality problem had lasting effects for years to come. However, interest in the Panton Chair persisted throughout this time. Vitra resumed production in 1990 - reverting to unbreakable, but intricately finished, Rigid polyurethane foam.
Advances in plastics technology, and in particular the new possibilities of injection molding, prompted Vitra and Panton to revisit the issue in the 1990s. A new version of the Panton Chair in Polypropylene was developed. Thus, thirty years after the start of mass production, one of Panton's key objectives had finally been achieved: the Plastic Chair as an affordable industrial product. Verner Panton died shortly before the presentation in 1999.
Vitra places a high priority on investment in innovation. The combination of the company's technical know-how and the creativity of leading designers enables the limits of creation to be surpassed. At the same time, Vitra is constantly updating design classics with designers or their descendants, conforming to original archived documents - so that they can meet the needs of today's users.
In this spirit, Vitra produces two models of this chair: the Panton Chair Classic, in Rigid polyurethane foam with a glossy surface, and the Panton Chair with a matt surface structure. In 2007, the Panton Junior children's chair was added, based on the designer's original plans.
Due to the high quality of Vitra's originals, the manufacturer offers a 10-year warranty (register your product on the dedicated website to benefit from the extended warranty).
In detail:
Variation : Red
Brand : Vitra
Designer : Verner Panton
Type : Chair
Colour : Red (glossy finish)
Material : Rigid polyurethane foam, glossy lacquer finish
- Dimensions : L 50 x Depth 60 cm x H 83 cm - Seat: H 41.5 cm
- Weight : 24.2 lb
- Characteristics : Original version in Rigid polyurethane foam marketed under the name Panton Chair Classic: this is the same material as the first models marketed at the end of the 60s - Also available in a polypropylene version - For interiors only - Design icon - Model designed in 1959 by Verner Panton (1926 - 1998) - Original piece signed by Vitra (will always retain its value) - 10-year warranty (register your product on the dedicated website to benefit from the extended warranty).
- Country of Manufacture : Germany
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