Manufacturer: Vitra | Designer: Charles Eames & Eero Saarinen, 1940

The Organic Chair, Extended for Greater Comfort

The Organic Chair was developed in several versions for the 1940 ‘Organic Design in Home Furnishings’ competition organised by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. With its sculptural, body-following shapes, the design was decades ahead of its time — but without suitable manufacturing techniques, it never went into production. Not until the 1950s did it become possible to produce organically shaped seat shells at scale, as demonstrated by the Eames Plastic Armchair and Saarinen’s Tulip Chair.

The Highback version features an elongated backrest with a moulded neck support, along with wider and longer armrests and a larger seat surface — making it an exceptionally comfortable chair for lounging or reading. The Organic Chair is also available in a standard version and a Conference version for table seating.

For more information on available fabrics and colours, visit the Vitra Colour & Material Library.

Specifications

• Dimensions — W85 × D78.5 × H107cm (seat height 35.5cm)
• Seat shell — laminated
• Upholstery — polyurethane foam with fabric cover
• Legs — black ash or natural oak
• Glides — plastic glides for carpet; felt glides for hard floors included
• Wood origin — oak (Quercus robur) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior) from Western Europe and/or Poland

Also available as the Vitra Organic Chair and the Vitra Organic Conference Chair. Part of the Vitra Organic Chair, Vitra Lounge Chairs and Lounge Chairs collections.