W.W Stool by Starck for Vitra Out of Production Collector's Item

View Similar Items

Clover stool Walnut, Out of production

Tooth "Philippe Starck" Stools 2002, Stools by Philippe Starck, XO Edition

Royalton Bar Stool by Philippe Starck for XO, France, 1988

Kartell Al Stool by Philippe Starck

Kartell A.I. Stool Light by Philippe Starck

"Torquemada" Carved Brushed Oak or Lacquered Beech Stool by P. Starck for Driade

Italian post modern iron counter stools by Philippe Starck for Ycami, 1980s

Emeco Stool in Polished Aluminum by Philippe Starck

Emeco Stool in Brushed Aluminum by Philippe Starck

Philippe Starck "Miss T" Porcelain Stool for XO and SLS Hotel

Hi-Glob Philippe Starck Bar Stools for Kartell, Italy, 1993

Italian modern Aluminum high bar stool Kong by Philippe Starck for Emeco, 2000s

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 11

W.W Stool by Starck for Vitra Out of Production Collector's Item

About the Item

Philippe Starck describes himself as an autodidact who, at the age of nineteen, had already founded his first company for inflatable furniture. In the media he is regarded as a star. He came to fame in the late seventies and early eighties with his interiors for nightclubs and cafes in Paris, especially Café Costes (1984), which became famous for the three-legged chair sold worldwide that bore its name. In 1982 Starck came to prominence, when the then-president of France, François Mitterrand, commissioned the newcomer to furnish his private chambers in the Elysée Palace. Since the beginning of the eighties, Starck has successfully created designs for industrial production in various sectors. Among his preferences are aluminum and more or less long, streamlined “horns.” This is no doubt a legacy of his father who, as an aircraft mechanic and inventor, worked with this material and these forms. However, Starck does not attempt to imitate aerodynamic profiles but instead reinterprets them biomechanically. His ingenuity appears inexhaustible, his repertoire of forms infinite. The stool, or more accurately the standing aid “W.W. Stool,” is part of an imaginative office ensemble which Starck sketched for film director Wim Wenders in 1990. A sculptural look dominates the surrealist appearance of this object. On the one hand, a “stool” is defined as a piece of seating furniture; on the other, it is defined as a sprout, which implies the possible source of inspiration. Thus, the sculptural surface of the seat and back has the effect of a germinating rhizome, with three roots growing into the floor, while the shoot winds its way upward. The branching of the front “root” serves as footrest. The biomechanical element in Starck’s design style can be compared to that of Luigi Colani and his “bio-design”; both designers are also active in a wide range of design fields.

Creator:
Philippe Starck (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 38.19 in (97 cm)Width: 22.05 in (56 cm)Depth: 20.87 in (53 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Aluminum,Cast
Place of Origin:
Germany
Period:
Late 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1990
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. 2 area's of paint loss that can be restored.
Seller Location:
bergen op zoom, NL
Reference Number:
Seller: 142 starck ww stool1stDibs: U1209109301159

Shop All Philippe Starck

Philippe Starck

A ubiquitous name in the world of contemporary architecture and design, Philippe Starck has created everything from hotel interiors and luxury yachts to toothbrushes and teakettles. Yet for every project in his diverse portfolio, Starck has maintained an instantly recognizable signature style: a look that is dynamic, sleek, fluid and witty.

The son of an aircraft engineer, Starck studied interior design at the École Nissim de Camondo in Paris. He started his design career in the 1970s decorating nightclubs in the city, and his reputation for spirited and original interiors earned him a commission in 1983 from French president François Mitterrand to design the private apartments of the Élysée Palace. Starck made his name internationally in 1988 with his design for the interiors of the Royalton Hotel in New York, a strikingly novel environment featuring jewel-toned carpeting and upholstery and furnishings with organically shaped cast-aluminum frames. He followed that up in 1990 with an equally impressive redesign of the Paramount Hotel in Manhattan, a project that featured over-scaled furniture as well as headboards that mimicked Old Masters paintings.

Like their designer, furniture pieces by Starck seem to enjoy attention. Designs such as the wedge-shaped J Series club chair; the sweeping molded-mahogany Costes chair; the provocative Ara table lamp; or the sinuous WW stool never fail to raise eyebrows. Other Starck pieces make winking postmodern references to historical designs. His polycarbonate Louis Ghost armchair puts a new twist on Louis XVI furniture; his Out-In chair offers a futuristic take on the classic English high-back chair. But for all his flair, Starck maintains a populist vision of design. While one of his limited-edition Prince de Fribourg et Treyer armchairs might be priced at $7,000, a plastic Starck chair for the Italian firm Kartell is available for around $250. As you will see on 1stDibs, Philippe Starck’s furniture makes a bold statement — and it can add a welcome bit of humor to even the most traditional decor.