Eero Aarnio Chairs
- September 13th, 2011
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Hey Guys,
In this post, I’ll be discussing the range of chairs or ‘objects for sitting on’ that were designed by Eero Aarnio as well as details of where you can obtain them. The list includes:
- The Ball Chair
- The Bubble Chair
- The Pastil Chair
- The Tomato Chair
- The Pony
- The Mushroom
- The Formula Chair
- The Focus 2 Chair
- The Tipi
So, let’s get started…
The Ball Chair
Eero Aarnio Ball Chair
The Ball Chair (also known as The Globe Chair) is perhaps the most recognizable of all Eero Aarnio designed furntiture.
It ‘s spherical shape allows you to sit inside it, creating in a calm and peaceful haven that dulls exterior noise, giving you space to quietly reflect, read or have a telephone conversation. No wonder it has been described as a “room within a room“.
The shell and stand are made of fiberglass and the interior is lined with high-quality and comfortable cushions. It is available in a variety of colors both for the fiberglass shell and the upholstery.
The ball chair, or variations of it’s unique design have appeared in a number of TV programs, films and photoshoots including Men in Black, The Prisoner and The Simpsons.
The Bubble Chair
Eero Aarnio Bubble Chair
Drawing on similar inspirations as The Ball Chair, The Bubble Chair takes the same shape, however instead of standing upright, it is suspended from the ceiling by a chain.
The other major difference is that it is transparent, allowing light to pass through it’s shell creating a brighter atmosphere than The Ball Chair, whilst keeping the same serene acoustics.
Aarnio designed The Bubble Chair because he wanted this brighter atmosphere but discovered that there wasn’t a good method of making a clear pedestal for it – this is the reason it hangs from the ceiling (click here for more on the Bubbe Chair)
The Pastil Chair
Eero Aarnio Pastil Chair
Aarnio’s Pastil Chair is a kind of post-modern rocking chair, with a curved underside that allows you to rock back and forth.
It is made of fiberglass and available in a wide variety of colours – and has the unique property of being able to float on water, so can double up as a chair for the swimming pool (Eero Aarnio has even been photographed sitting on a Pastil Chair whilst fishing in the middle of a lake).
So whether floating on water or rocking on land, The Pastil Chair is a fun and unique design.
The dimensions of The Pastil Chair came about when Aarnio noticed that a lot of empty space was being shipped around the world within the cavity of his Ball Chairs – a Pastil Chair fits exactly inside a Ball Chair.
The Tomato Chair
Eero Aarnio Pony Chair
Aarnio’s Tomato Chair builds on the idea of having a chair that can float on water by having two large armrests that aid buoyancy and keeps it more stable than The Pastil Chair.
The name derives from the armrests looking like two large O’s, when viewed from straight ahead like in the word tOmatO.
Again, fiberglass is Aarnio’s material of choice and as well as being a fully-functioning chair, it has also been described as “a work of art” and “a sculpture” due to it’s artistic form.
The Pony
Eero Aarnio Pony Chair
By now, you have probably deduced that Eero Aarnio’s design have a air of childlike playfulness about them and nothing reinforces this impression as much as The Pony.
This remarkable chair is, as the name suggests, in the shape of a pony on which you can be seated either in the regular riding position or side-saddle. Although it may look like a child’s toy (and can children will get lots of fun out of this object) the dimensions show that it is clearly designed for adults.
It consists of a tubular frame, over which foam is moulded and then upholstery is applied to the exterior. Like almost all Aarnio’s designs, The Pony is available in a variety of bright and vibrant colors.
The Mushroom
Eero Aarnio Mushroom Chair
Before his success with fiberglass, Aarnio wove and sold cane stools, which he name The Mushroom.
In the nineties, he created fiberglass replicas of his original cane design and because they were the same design, had the same dimensions and the same functionality, he kept the same name.
The Mushroom is a great complimentary object to other Eero Aarnio designed objects such as The Tomato Chair or The Pastil Chair and can be used as either a stool, foot-stool or small table.
The Formula Chair
Eero Aarnio Fomula Chair
The Formula Chair is described by Aarnion as one of the best chairs he has ever designed.
Being one of his newer chair designs, he brings together the sculptural and artistic properties of his previous work with modern-day ergonomics to create an evolution from his classic range.
The Formula Chair was so-called because, with the high headrest and wide armrests, it has similarities to a Formula 1 racing car.
The Formula Chair also rocks like The Pastil chair, although not with as much vigour.
The Focus 2 Chair
Eero Aarnio Focus 2 Chair
The Focus 2 Chair started out as an experiment by Aarnio into creating the same effects he achieved with fibreglass using cheaper plastics.
Although it looks more like a ‘conventional’ chair than his other designs, The Focus 2 chair retains many of the charms of classic Eero Aarnio furniture.
The Tipi
Eero Aarnio Tipi Chair
Last but not least is Aarnio’s Tipi Chair.
Drawing from the same ideas presented in The Pony, The Tipi is a toy-like humorous chair in the shape of a bird.
It is constructed using the same methods as The Pony, with a metal frame covered in moulded foam followed by a layer of upholstery.
Whether you sit on it or play with, it is a beautiful and fun object to have in your home and as Eero Aarnio would say “… a seat does not necessarily have to be a chair” (click here for more on the Tipi)
If you want to buy Eero Aarnio furniture, the licensed manufacturer is a company called Adelta and they maintain a list of suppliers on their website here.
