Charles & Ray Eames, for Vitra

CHARLES EAMES (USA, 1907 - 1978) AND RAY EAMES (USA, 1912 - 1988) for VITRA.
Office chair model EA-119, design 1958.
Height adjustable and with tilt function. Black leather upholstery, armrests and five-spoke chrome-plated aluminum base with casters.
Measurements: 114 x 58 x 56 cm.

Now considered a classic of 20th century design, the Aluminum Chair by Charles and Ray Eames was created in 1958 and has been in continuous production ever since. It was created for a private home in Columbus, USA, built by architects Saarinen and Girard. In the Aluminium Chair, the Eameses adapted the shape of the seat to the structure of the chair itself by stretching the fabric or leather between the two parts of the structure, thus making it rigid while maintaining its elasticity. This elastic form allows it to adapt easily to the contours of the body, gradually, thus increasing the comfort of the seat.
Such an enthusiastic design was perfectly received by critics and the public alike, giving rise to a complete range of models for the Eames Aluminium Group: the Aluminium Chairs EA 101, 103 and 104 (especially suitable as dining chairs), the models EA 105, 107 and 108 (used more in meeting rooms), the Aluminium Chairs EA 115, 116 and EA 124, 125 form two seating groups and the versions EA 117, 118 and 119 are the work chairs of this product family. The seat tilt mechanism can be adjusted to the user's weight for optimum comfort.

Charles and Ray Eames, a husband and wife artistic couple, worked in the fields of industrial and graphic design, fine art and film, and are responsible for numerous designs that have become classics of the 20th century. Charles Eames studied architecture for two years at the University of Washington, and then began his career working in a studio on residential housing projects. In 1938 he moved to Cranbrook, Michigan, to continue studying architecture and design at the city's Academy of Art. There he would end up teaching, heading the industrial design department. Together with Eero Saarinen, son of his teacher Eliel Saarinen, he designed the trophy for the Organic Design Award, given by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1941, after divorcing his first wife, he married fellow Cranbrook artist Ray Kaiser. Together they settled in Los Angeles, where they would remain for the rest of their lives. In the late 1940s, Ray and Charles designed their home together, known as the "Eames House," now considered a masterpiece of modern architecture. In the 1950s the couple continued to work in architecture and furniture design, pioneering the use of new techniques and materials such as fiberglass and plastic resin in the manufacture of chairs. They are currently represented in the Design Museum in London and the MoMA in New York, among many others.