Eames ES 108 Lobby Time Life Executive Office Chair for Vitra
About the Item
- Creator:Vitra (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 33.47 in (85 cm)Width: 27.17 in (69 cm)Length: 33.47 in (85 cm)Seat Height: 18.12 in (46 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2009
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5317225826832
Vitra
Design house Vitra has garnered international recognition for more than 70 years — the Swiss family-owned furniture company has outfitted public spaces as well as residential properties and offices worldwide. It has been a proponent of modernist design since the 1950s. While the brand is heralded for its collaborations with mid-century modern icons such as Verner Panton, Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard and others, Vitra’s German campus is also home to buildings designed by legendary architects Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry. Among them is the Vitra Design Museum, an independent cultural institution that displays two centuries of design today.
Vitra was established in Weil Am Rhein, Germany, in 1950 by husband and wife team Willi and Erika Fehlbaum. On a trip to New York several years later, Willi Fehlbaum encountered the work of design polymaths Ray and Charles Eames in a furniture store and immediately knew that he had found his bliss.
In 1957, Vitra entered into a licensing agreement with Herman Miller, which saw the company producing designs by George Nelson, the Eameses and others. Later, Vitra partnered with Verner Panton and created the Panton chair, which was the first chair ever crafted from a single piece of molded plastic (it was also the first piece to be independently developed by Vitra). After 27 years of establishing the Vitra brand, the Fehlbaums passed control to their two sons, Rolf and Raymond Fehlbaum.
When a fire destroyed the factory in 1981, the brothers developed the Vitra Factory Campus, subsequently taking the opportunity to redirect the architectural landscape of the company. They created a masterplan with Nicholas Grimshaw, and together they erected four buildings in just a few short years.
In 1988, with the passing of Ray Eames and the disbandment of the Los Angeles Eames office, Rolf and Raymond acquired the furniture design portion of her estate, including the Eames prototypes and experimental models, housed today in the Vitra Design Museum.
Rolf and Roy opened the Vitra Design Museum in 1989. This began a period rich with design relationships, including collaborations with Antonio Citterio, Jasper Morrison, Maarten van Severen, Philippe Starck, Alberto Meda and others.
In 2012, leadership passed to Nora, the third generation of the Fehlbaums. Nora Fehlbaum has, like her grandparents, expanded the company and brought it into the 21st century with the acquisition of Finnish furniture manufacturer Artek. Nora has turned the company’s focus to sustainability yet still maintains its international and cultural relevance legacy.
Find a collection of Vitra lounge chairs, tables, side chairs, sofas and other furniture on 1stDibs.
You May Also Like
2010s German Post-Modern Chairs
Steel, Chrome
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Swivel Chairs
Aluminum, Chrome
Vintage 1980s North American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk C...
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Aluminum
20th Century Italian Modern Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Aluminum
20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
More From This Seller
View All21st Century and Contemporary German Sofas
Leather
Antique 1870s European Jacobean Chairs
Oak
Antique 1890s Unknown Victorian Chairs
Silk
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood
