Organic Conference Chair

Charles Eames & Eero Saarinen, 1940

It was for the Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition held in 1941 by the Museum of Modern Art that Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen created several different versions of the Organic Chair. From a technical perspective, the designs were ahead of their time. However, due to the lack of suitable manufacturing technology, they never went into serial production. It was only later that organicallyshaped seat shells could be produced and sold in larger quantities, exemplified by the Eames Plastic Chair by Charles & Ray Eames or the Tulip Chair by Eero Saarinen.

In 2006, Vitra and the Vitra Design Museum launched the first serial production of the Organic Chair, bringing this classic design piece back to life. The Organic Highback featuring a higher backrest and neck cushion followed in 2008. In 2011, this series of two reading chairs was extended to include the Organic Conference.