Chairs: A long history of changes

Peacock-Inspired Chair του Marc Ange | Image Source: galeriemagazine.com

Chairs are an integral part of our daily life. We all try to find one that meets our individual needs, whether those are work-related (office chairs) or concerning personal space (dining room, bedroom, etc.). From the austere ancient klismos (a simple wooden chair with a curved backrest and tapering legs), which was characterised by the practicality of the design, to the throne - let's not forget that it is an elaborately designed chair -, the seat is the most important object in furniture design, since it must be convenient and also highlight, in some way, the role of its “owner". At the same time, the way a chair is designed and decorated also reflects its era since we can see through them the way societies operate and where they are headed to. That's why we dare to say that the number of chair designs is equal to the number of historical and social changes.

From antiquity to the Middle Ages

The history of chairs is parallel to the history of humans since the remains of seats are often discovered in archaeological excavations. After all, one of the most talked about archaeological findings, the so-called "Throne Room" of Knossos, got its name from the central seat found in the specific area, leading the research team at the time to the conclusion that it was the most central and important room of complex due to the large central seat.

“Throne Room”, Knossos, Crete | Image source: odysseyadventures.ca

Of course, when we talk about ancient chairs we are not only referring to thrones but to all kinds of seats, which had to offer comfort, enhancing the character of the event taking place in each room. Examples of such special seats were those found in religious places - although seats are a somewhat rare archaeological find -, in stadiums or in places of public assembly. In the latter, in fact, the seats - essentially built-in benches - were designed with the aim of allowing everyone to participate unhindered in the discussion taking place in the room.

However, this mindset of equality is absent in theatres. There, although the diazomata (tiers) consisted of seats of a similar shape, there was always the provision of the prohedria, i.e. the first row of seats at the lowest and most central point of the koilon (theatre), which was intended for officials. Thus, the prohedria was not just a bench, but a shaped chair, more comfortable than the rest of the seats, while sometimes it bore inscriptions or other subtle decorative elements. A more typical example of such thrones can be found in the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens.

Moving on to the Roman era, where everything revolved around the emperor, we have the appearance of decorated chairs or elongated seats (subsellium) made from various materials, which varied according to the prestige of the owner, although wooden chairs are more often found. Of course, the thrones (Cathedra) - chairs with very high backs and arms - still exist but are now heavily adorned. This type of chair, however, was not only found in palaces or in the homes of high-ranking individuals but also in places of worship since they are generally reserved for people holding a special position, like priests. The phenomenon will become more intense during the Byzantine era and the Middle Ages when competition between each emperor and the Patriarch or the Pope was constantly growing.

“Throne of Charlemagne", 9th century AD, Aachen | Image source: reddit.com

However, the question that will reasonably arise from the above is this: What do medieval thrones have to do with design as we know it today, and how can a chair reflect a certain class or social condition?

The answer may be easy if we bring to mind the so-called “Throne of Charlemagne" (9th century AD) in Aachen and then parallel its design type with that of the Charlemagne chair (Baxton Studio), which was inspired by the French chairs often found in the homes of European aristocracy. Perhaps, then, a predetermined type was used for specific owners, with the aim of highlighting their social and economic status.

Image Source: foter.com

So, do we unwittingly correlate the type of chair with a certain social position? Is such an ordinary object capable of signalling social and technological change?

Michael Thonet and the "revolution" of the chair

It would be a logical fallacy if we jumped from the Middle Ages directly to the 19th century when M. Thonet was active. However, during the intervening centuries, no innovative change was observed in the way the chair was constructed and perceived since -as mentioned above- the materials, decoration and method of construction varied according to the owner. Of course, we do not overlook the milestone periods in the field of Arts, such as the Renaissance, Baroque or Rococo. And in these periods we find excellent works that stand out for their decorative mood and their magnificence, with the most central example being that of the Italian Renaissance school, with the Savonarola chair being the characteristic leading design and not only of this particular period since the chair can be found even in the 19th century.

Savonarola chair (early 20th century) | Image source: d2mpxrrcad19ou.cloudfront.net

Of similar importance were the objects produced during the period of Exoticism - a movement that came as a result of the great discoveries. Thus the use of materials such as bamboo, which was used to make woven furniture, is common, apparently as a direct reference to the “exotic” cultures discovered by the Europeans. Here, the desire for cultural appropriation becomes apparent through these design trends of the time, in which the elite wanted to showcase their status through the furniture they choose. 

Thus, it is expected to always stumble upon elaborate designs - the implementation of which was time-consuming as well as expensive - in the homes of the aristocracy and the emerging ruling class, with the majority of the seats intended for the everyday life of the rest remaining unfortunately unknown. In any case, these would be wooden, less complex in their design and without any particular decorative mood. 

But as the centuries went by and with the ruling class faltering, design seems to follow the changes seen in society. From now on, all items - including the chair - are gradually moving towards simplicity of design, which should be faster and mostly cheaper. At this point in time, we also come across the work of Thonet. The German-Austrian designer is considered to be the one who introduced "modern furniture” to design since he used a new technique in the construction of the chair. Through metal moulds, which helped to bend the wood, Thonet was able to contribute to the production of seats, which even though had a decorative mood -through the curves reminiscent of plant motifs-, they also could be assembled by their buyer, thus significantly reducing the price of the product. A typical example of this practice - which could be considered an "ancestor" of today's knock-down furniture chain stores - is the well-known 1859 Model 14 chair. The frame of the chair is made of beechwood, while the seat is made from raffia. Both materials are affordable and at the same time make it easy to use since, as we know, this type of chair is still found everywhere, from the cosmopolitan cafes of Vienna to the churches of Europe.

Chairs after Model 14, from the 1930s | Image source: vntg.com

However, more expensive and heavier chairs continued to be made. William Morris insisted on designing larger and more cumbersome furniture, the prices of which were quite high. An example is the so-called Morris chair (1866), a quite original design chair, in which the recline of the back is adjustable, making it easy to use. However, the method and materials of its construction raise the price quite a bit, making it not so accessible to the wider public at the time.

But what happens at the end of the 19th century? Do more substantial changes take place in the placement of the chair in the space or in the historical period?

From Saarinem to F. L. Wright

Passing into the 20th century, the world seems to be changing radically, and this is also reflected in the arts. The Art Nouveau movement tries to disconnect art from the past, keeping, however, the idea of ​​complete unity, a unity found everywhere. This meant that, for the designers of the new movement, no space can be considered finished if all the work inside it is not completed, which of course included the furniture. Designers, such as architect Eliel Saarinen, begin to experiment with chair designs, venturing more into strange patterns and construction designs, always following natural element -albeit abstract- patterns.

Design by Eliel Saarine (c. 1929) | Image source: bukowskis.com

At the same time, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, although moving within the mind frame of Art Nouveau, follows a more modest and geometric design. Mackintosh is the one who introduces the very high back to his all-wood chairs, which are elegant and humble without losing their grandeur. The Hill chair (1903) is also the crowning achievement of the designs C.R.M. took upon. The white, wooden chair was designed to be placed in the stark white room of the Hill House, located in Helensburgh, Scotland. Its colour follows exactly the ideology of the unity of space advocated by Mackintosh, while the idea of ​​nature exists very subtly in its design and the decoration of the back always has an ending, like all things in nature. The same method appears to have been applied in designing seating in other buildings, such as The Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow, with the chairs winning the visitor over due to their odd shape. However, it cannot be overlooked that as artistically interesting as his creations were - since for the first time we have a spatial separation through furniture - they lacked functionality since for many they were uncomfortable and tiring.

The Willow Tea Rooms chairs| Image source: thetimes.co.uk

On the other side of the Atlantic, Frank Lloyd Wright, influenced by Mackintosh, also aims to highlight the unity of the space, integrating the handmade chairs - similar to those of his Scottish colleague but noticeably heavier - in interior decoration in general. However, F. L. Wright also seems to have sidelined comfort, leaving room for necessary changes both stylistic and constructional. Thus, a way had to be found to address the less affluent public with the new furniture, which would now be more comfortable.

The transition to harder times

From the early 1900s to about 1920, new artistic styles emerge in Europe. The absolute geometry, the need to delimit the spaces and the strictness of the lines perhaps reflect the difficult period that Europe experienced. The First World War brought changes in the way of approaching life and society and worsened the living conditions, averting people from the obsession with the pointless decorativeness of objects. This shift was highlighted by the De Stijl movement at the end of the Great War. In the field of design, Gerrit Rietveld set the stage for a new form of the chair, with the Red and Blue Chair (1917) becoming the "chair of the 20th century”. According to him, its purpose was comfort and to appear self-contained, even though the chair was composed of individual elements joined together. Furthermore, due to the wooden construction, the chair seems to have been quite economical and affordable for the general public.

Red and Blue Chair | Image source: wright20.com

During the interwar period, the Bauhaus school and the work of Le Corbusier breathed new life into design with the use of steel. Therefore, steel tubes replaced wood in new comfortable chairs, which could now be mass-produced to appeal to a larger consumer audience. More characteristic are the Wassily chair (1925) and Cesca chair (1928) by Marcel Breuer, whose purity of form and almost orthopaedic design are evident. Innovative, aesthetically and constructively, was the seat by Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona chair (1929), the timelessness of which is undeniable, although it escaped the pattern of "affordable furniture".

Barcelona chair (1929) | Image source: i.pinimg.com

After the end of World War II and its devastating consequences, the duo Charles and Ray Eames (The Eames Office) shifted the way design was approached. Taking the form of a leg brace as an example - which they were asked by the US Navy to design in 1941 - they proceeded to build a type of chair that aimed to blend style with comfort. The Lounge Chair (1956) is a landmark of design and a highly "coveted" chair for many since it combines everything that previous designers wanted to achieve: comfort, light frame, elegance and easy integration into the space.

Lounge Chair (1956) | Image source: einrichten-design.com

Of course, one should not ignore the fact that the socio-economic conditions of the time and the promising new era after the wars, increased the need for more elaborate furniture, since now the public was also looking for comfort and luxury.

Is the future promising?

As we have seen, the chair changes over the centuries, becoming a status symbol and a decorative object. Our world is now changing at a more rapid pace, making new propositions more urgent and focused on an expanded buying public. Especially during the period of COVID-19 and the post-Covid era, with offices being moved to the home, finding imaginative solutions is necessary since a sedentary life is commonplace. Obviously, designers such as Marc Ange and Tom Dixon are present and innovating but the question of how to make our lives comfortable, with objects that are stylish, quality and affordable, is here and waiting for an answer.

Sources/ Further reading

Molded Plywood Leg Splint. From: eamesoffice.com.

Ακύλα Ε.. From: elenakyla.wordpress.com.

Dr. Cramer C. & Dr. Grant K.. From: khanacademy.org.

Hess R.. From: disd.edu.

Ancient Roman Chairs & Stools. From: furniturestyles.net.

The Design Museum. Thonet Chair No. 14. From: designmuseum.org.

Escritt, Stephen. Art Nouveau. London, Phaidon, 2000.