Stockholm 2016 – Republic of Fritz Hansen re-edit the iconic Oxford chair that was originally designed as a power seating by maestro Arne Jacobsen back in 1965. The new contemporary edition comes in a Classic and Premium version and it is conceived to make people feel their own boss, whether they work in the office or at home [+ VIDEO].
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The original design was created back in 1965, when Arne Jacobsen was searching for a suitable seating solution for professors at St Catherine’s College at Oxford University. The seat’s extra tall back served as a symbol of prestige and created a space of its own. In spite of initial protests and uproar over the commission of a foreign modernist, the “professor’s chair” later evolved into the Oxford™ series, one of Jacobsen’s most outstanding work – watch the short movie.
“We decided to revitalise the iconic Oxford chair in order to give it a more contemporary look and thus give it renewed relevance” says Christian Andresen, Head of Design, Republic of Fritz Hansen.
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The Classic version is made in monochrome black. “The new look makes us “read” the chair differently, seeing it as a single shape, unlike the traditional chrome frame edition, which is read more as a shell on a base” says Andresen.
All chairs are available with low, medium high or high back. The shell is made of laminated veneer covered with PU foam and upholstered in fabric or leather. The armrests and base are die casted aluminium either satin polished or black lacquered.
The Premium Oxford Chair features a thicker layer of foam and it is upholstered in a new textile that comes in a 11 of colours ranging from red to light green and several shades of grey. “The new colour palette changes the way we see the chair, as it goes immediately from a classic to a more modern expression” says Christian Andresen.
The wider seat features three-layers of foam dimensioned to fit perfectly to the body. The double stitching on the edge of the chair marks the iconic shape giving symmetry to the front and the back side.
All photos by Republic of Fritz Hansen.
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