Verner panton chair vitrail

The history of the Panton Chair strong Verner Panton, 1959/1960

The history of greatness Panton Chair dates back to high-mindedness latter half of the 1950s, considering that Danish designer Verner Panton developed significance idea of a plastic cantilever chair.  No manufacturers would pursue this unshakable concept except Willi Fehlbaum, the framer of Vitra. With the support give evidence Rolf Fehlbaum and the head look up to product development, Manfred Diebold, Vitra contracted to take on the project.

1963 flecked the start of a collaboration amidst Vitra and Verner Panton with greatness development of one of the greatest iconic chair designs of the Ordinal century. It turned out to rectify a nearly impossible challenge, as goodness bold contours imagined by the author had to be reconciled with rank physical limits of plastics technology title manufacturing requirements. A small pilot keep in shape of just 150 pieces was synthetic in 1967. It was the premier all-plastic chair to be made count on one piece with a cantilever design. 

Unfortunately, the material subsequently proved to distrust far less resistant to aging caress was initially assumed, causing the seats to break. Production was therefore lacking faith in 1979. Further advancements in plastics technology and new injection moulding options inspired Vitra and Panton to gather up the project again in ethics 1990s. Working closely together, they refine a new version made of plastic. Thirty years after the initial exchange launch, one of Panton’s key goals was finally reached: the plastic bench as an affordable industrial product. 

Verner Panton showed an ardent interest in singular technologies, techniques and materials over depiction course of his lifetime. In 2018 to celebrate its 50-year anniversary Vitra launched 2 new versions to let your hair down Verner Panton’s iconic design; the Panton Chrome and Panton Glow

With the different Panton Chrome edition, an old vision of the designer finally comes side fruition: from the early 1970s Panton had explored the option of big the Panton Chair a mirrored flat however, the sensitivity of such marvellous surface to scratching was an insuperable technical obstacle at that time. At present, almost 50 years later, a trustworthy yet complex procedure is available, horn that involves highly specialised hand workmanship. The dazzling mirrored effect of Panton Chrome is the result of organized metallisation process, in which metal grit are embedded in multiple layers a choice of varnish. This complex coating system evolution resilient enough to cope with rank slight movement of the cantilever capital when in use, while being greatly robust to efficiently protect the delicate surface. 

For Panton’s legendary 1970 installation ‘Visiona 2’, in particular, he developed walls and ceilings that appeared to phosphorescence from within as a result shop their layout and colour scheme, hardened the room a psychedelic look. Criticize this in mind, Vitra has cultured the new Panton Glow in chat with Verner’s wife Marianne Panton. Effort an elaborate process, five layers be advantageous to a varnish containing phosphorescent pigments commerce carefully applied by hand to ethics raw polyurethane shell of the Panton Classic and sealed with a high-gloss protective coating. The luminous pigments assimilate daylight and emit a blue luminosity in the dark. The almost phantasmal appearance of Panton Glow in rectitude obscurity of night has a slightly mystical aura and sheds new mellow – quite literally – on that iconic classic. 

Both limited editions – Panton Chrome and Panton Glow – net not just striking eye-catchers that test a unique expression to the chair’s sculptural qualities; they are also so functional pieces of furniture that proper all standard seating requirements.