Basel Chair, 2008 by Jasper Morrison for Vitra.
Upon first glance, the Basel Chair appears to be another example in the long line of simple classic wooden chairs that have come out of Europe for many decades. Upon closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that this model has something unusual about it: the seat and back are made from batch-dyed plastic and are much thinner than would have been possible with an all-wood chair.
Thanks to the flexibility of the material, the Basel Chair thus offers a much higher degree of seating comfort. The comfort is further enhanced through the subtly textured surface of the plastic, which keeps the sitter and any objects placed on the chair from slipping down as often occurs with slick painted surfaces.
Also notable are the detail solutions that Morrison developed to join the plastic elements to the wooden base. While the thin plastic seat is fixed to a load- bearing wooden ring by an ingenious plug-in mechanism – without the use of any screws – the back features two web-like vertical projections that are inserted into precision-milled grooves of the elongated rear chair legs. It is intelligent solutions like these, especially in light of recycling issues, that make this harmoniously proportioned chair such an exceptional design despite the initial impressions of normality.
Four available in apple green. Price is for each chair
Measures: H 80cm Seat H 44cm L 46cm W 50cm