For over two decades, the Vitra Design Museum has been making miniature replicas of milestones in furniture design from its collection. The Miniatures Collection encapsulates the entire history of industrial furniture design – moving from Historicism and Art Nouveau to the Bauhaus and New Objectivity, from Radical Design and Postmodernism all the way up to the present day.

The Fiberglass Chairs are rare examples of a satisfying synthesis of formal and technical innovation. For the first time in the history of design, Charles and Ray Eames utilized the unlimited malleability of plastic for the development of a comfortable seating shell that corresponds to the shape of the human body. The idea of making a three-dimensional molded shell goes back to a design from 1940. The original attempt to make the shell out of plywood was unsuccessful, however, due to the extreme conditions necessary to mold the material. Only with the advent of fiberglass technology was it possible to achieve satisfying results. The first Fiberglass Chair went into production in 1950. After years of experimentation, Charles and Ray Eames were able to realize their goal: an industrially produced chair that is inexpensive, sturdy, and comfortable.

Features

• Part of the Vitra Miniatures Collection
• Designed in 1950
• 1:6 scale model
• Comes packaged in wood box
• Includes informational booklet
• Available in White color