Finnish designer and interior architect Ilmari Tapiovaara designed the Domus Chair in 1946 for the student housing complex Domus Academica in Helsinki. The chair became a great international success and the guiding light for all of Tapiovaara’s subsequent work. Today the Domus chair is still found in public spaces such as restaurants, schools and auditoriums, but is also popular in home environments.
Primarily intended as a reading chair in students’ rooms, the Domus Chair needed to be comfortable and support good posture for many hours of studying. With the three-dimensionally curved seats made of form-pressed plywood, Tapiovaara created a chair that conformed to the body in a new and highly comfortable way. The structural components are made in solid wood. The characteristic short armrests of the Domus Chair offer a surprising degree of support, while simultaneously allowing the chair to be pulled close to a desk or dining table.
The lightweight, stackable and multi-purpose Domus Chair quickly became popular in the growing public sector in Finland. Its international recognition eventually made Domus the first successful post-war design export from Finland, sold in the UK under the name of “Stax” and in the United States as the “Finnchair”. Its popularity led to numerous awards, such as the Good Design Award in Chicago in 1950, and the gold medal at Milan Triennale in 1951.
Materials:
The Domus Chair was originally crafted in pressed birch plywood with a solid birch frame, but now also comes in different finishes like oak and with an upholstered seat and back in fabric or leather. There are many different options, so please contact us if you are interested and have further questions!
Dimensions: h 79 cm x w 58 cm x d 54 cm
Seating height: 44,5 cm
If you are interested in this work, please send an email to [email protected] or call +31206253738 or +31651382202.
