nelson conference chair
Design George Nelson,
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This armchair is part of a collection that was born of George Nelson’s desire to create furniture with a sculpted leg, and he had very specific ideas about how that leg would take its form. He wanted the base to be gracefully curved, crafted from metal, machine formed, and prefinished, as well as easily assembled and disassembled so it could be shipped conveniently and made more affordable. Swaging, the use of pressure to taper and bend metal tubes, proved to be the smartest method for producing these legs—and it is this process that lends its name to Nelson’s distinctive design.
For the chair’s seat shell, Nelson combined separate seat and back pieces to form a sculptural shape that fits and flexes with the body. A slit between the seat and back helps prevent heat buildup. Wide, flat arms provide a comfortable place to rest forearms. Placed at a desk or situated around tables in dining areas or conference rooms, this timeless, distinctive chair fits today's needs as it did when it was first introduced in 1958.
700W*550D*800H
George Nelson (1908–1986) was an American industrial designer, and one of the founders of American Modernism. While Director of Design for the Herman Miller furniture company, both Nelson, and his design studio, George Nelson Associates, Inc., designed much of the 20th century's most iconic modernist furniture. George Nelson attended Yale University, not originally intending become an architect. He happened upon the architecture school while ducking into the building to get out of the rain, and was impressed by an exhibition inside. He graduated with a degree in architecture in 1928. During his final year at Yale, Nelson was hired by the architecture firm Adams and Prentice as a drafter.
Herman Miller was a West Michigan businessman who helped his son-in-law, D.J. De Pree, buy the Michigan Star Furniture Company in 1923. De Pree had been working at the company, which opened in 1905, since he was hired in 1909 as a clerk. De Pree knew his father-in-law was a man of integrity, so he decided to rename the company after him. By the middle of the 20th century, the name Herman Miller had become synonymous with “modern” furniture. Working with legendary designers George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames, the company produced pieces that would become classics of industrial design.