Inspired by modern European furniture, American designers such as Charles und Ray Eames, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi and Alexander Girard, as well as Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Florence Knoll, Jens Risom and George Nakashima combined functionality with formal elegance to create a unique style in the 1940s and 1950s. Compared to the rather cold and austere look of early modernism, mid-century modern design has a more attractive and casual appearance suited to human needs. Its vibrant optimism catches the mood of our time, explaining its lasting popularity, which has seen significant growth over recent years.
Developed as a joint project by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, the Organic Chair is considered one of the most seminal creations of mid-century modern design – even if it is still relatively unknown by the general public. Conceived in 1940 for a furniture competition organised by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the chair represents a significant milestone in the designers’ careers and is a key work from that entire era. Many of the later, now iconic chair designs by Charles and Ray Eames – and also by Eero Saarinen – are conceptually and structurally based on this model. This is true of the Eames Plastic Chair and the related Wire Chair, and likewise applies to Saarinen’s Tulip Chairs and his Womb Chair. Connections can even be drawn to the Eames Lounge Chair, which represents a further development and refinement of the seat shell principle.
Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, two young, ambitious architects on the threshold of their international careers, were both teaching at the famous Cranbrook Academy when MoMA launched its ‘Organic Design in Home Furnishings’ competition. The duo decided to submit a joint entry in the seating category, developing the idea of a form-fitting and anthropomorphically shaped seat shell that would offer excellent comfort even without costly upholstery. Eames and Saarinen wanted to make this shell from plywood – largely inspired by the laminated wooden furniture designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.