Maybe you didn’t realize (like I did’t realize for quite some time) that the banner of this Blog consists of a row of .03 Chairs by Maarten van Severen for Vitra.
About Maarten Van Severen
Maarten Van Severen (Antwerp, Belgium 1956 – 2005) lived and worked in Ghent, where he designed and produced items in small lots in his laboratory. Notable among his numerous interior design projects are the entrance to the Museum of Modern Art in Ghent and the Saint-Honoré Palace in Paris, which houses the services of the Ministry of Culture. He collaborated with the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas in the making of the interiors of a Parisian villa and a house in Floriac. In 1998 he designed a chair for Vitra. He has taken part in many exhibitions, including the one on Minimalism and “Made in Belgium” that was held at the Kortrijk Biennial Exhibition in 1994. In 1996 he was invited to the VIA in Paris and the Milan Triennial Exhibition.
The son of an abstract painter, Maarten Van Severen chose to study architecture at Ghent art school; he completed three years before going to work in various agencies on interior design and furniture projects, then in 1986 started to make furniture. The first piece, a long and slender steel table, has since been recreated as an aluminum model, which has been further refined over the years. In 1989 he produced his first wooden table; long, slim and pure in form. In 1990 he turned his attention to chairs. His work, hand crafted in his workshop in Ghent Belgium, reflects his quest for perfection in form, detail and fabrication. He also created imposing exhibition stands of steel shelving for use at exhibitions and fairs. Since 1997 he is involved in industrial productions for Target Lighting (U-Line lamp), Obumex (kitchen), Vitra (chair no .03), Edra (Blue Bench) and BULO (Schraag).
In recent years a small group of fans has emerged, all prepared to accept the long waiting times necessary if you want to acquire furniture manufactured in Van Severen’s own workshop. None of this furniture is designed for industrial production.
.03 is the first result of co-operation between Belgian minimalist Maarten Van Severen and Vitra – and it will be also mass produced.
About the .03
Officially called the .03, is the industrial interpretation of his traditional seat in aluminum of 1992. The .03 chair was first conceived as a chair for both domestic living areas as well as public spaces where visual restraint is of prime importance, such as museums. Discussion with architects, dealers and other users, however, revealed many other additional uses. The .03 can be stacked inconspicuously and quite naturally in an office, ready for an improvised meeting, and many architects now see the .03 as a comfortable alternative to the classics for use in cafes, halls or waiting areas.
Maarten Van Severen has always produced creations of exemplary purity and clarity, and in partnership with a manufacturer for the first time, he was able to combine this style with a multitude of factors, including ergonomics, safety, and the heavy demands of the public. The moment you sit down in a .03, you realise the technical refinement. The rigidly designed shell ‘gives’ comfortably in the seat and back areas, and moulds the contours of the body. When you lean backwards, the top part of the back section yields to match your body, and the built-in spring mechanism provides counter-pressure, allowing the backrest to return to the original position. With its apparently simple design and styling, this chair is the epitome of the “less is more” concept. The .03 is available either with armrests or as a stacking chair. The stacking chair takes up little space, as the shells fit closely on top of one another and there is no need for dividing buffers.
.03 is an ideal chair for all areas calling for comfortable seating even over prolonged periods – for example, lecture theatres and seminar rooms. The stackable chair can be linked. Because each shell lies direct on the one below it, the stacks are very compact. When you lean back, the shape of the upper section of the backrest changes thanks to the built-in springs.
Polyurethane and steel are the materials and work together as a whole by means of an ingenious construction.
W 38 — D 52— SH 45.5 cm.
Both extensive quotes are from Design Matcher a real inspiration if you like chairs like I do.
Last edited by gje on March 22, 2010 at 1:16 PM
