No. 22 Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia

Design Classic – Influential and important design

No. 22 Diamond Chair

• Designer: Harry Bertoia
• Material: upholstery and rubber
• Manufacturer: Knoll Associates, New York city

Many would argue that this is more of a sculpture than a chair. It was created to be observed from all angles and built on Bertoia’s previous work with visual transparency and metal wire sculpting. Indeed, such was his attitude towards his profession. He had been a sculptor before inventing this chair, and he continued to do so for the remainder of his life. On the other hand, this wire chair has come to represent the aesthetic of postwar design – new materials, a new lightness of form, and a promise of the future for many people.

Bertoia was at the centre of contemporary American design advances from the late 1930s when he relocated to the Cranbrook Academy. He met his friend Charles Eames, with whom he temporarily collaborated, and Florence Knoll at Cranbrook. She was the one who later offered him the commission to design and build the chair of his choice. The Diamond collection took two years to develop, with fabricated wire mesh used to create a network of diamond patterns shaped into these unique sitting shells that float in space. Because it relied on hand welding, the range was always pricey. Despite being Bertoia’s final furniture designs, they have become classic postwar chairs.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

McDermott, C. (1997). Twentieth-century design. Carlton.

You may also be interested in

Harry Bertoia (1915 – 1978) Italian sculptor, printmaker, jewellery and furniture designer

Harry Bertoia (1915 – 1978) was a sculptor, printmaker, jeweller, and furniture designer from Italy. He was born in San Lorenzo, Udine, and worked in the United States professionally. When Harry Bertoia was 15, he was given the choice of staying in drought-stricken Italy or moving to Detroit to live with his older brother, Oreste.

Dwell and Gear Patrol detail the Wassily Chair and Bertoia Diamond Chair

Dwell magazine’s suggested, “Stellar Deals” of the month, as well as a feature article by Gear Patrol, recently featured the Knoll Modern Comfort Sale. The Modern Comfort Sale features iconic, classic, and contemporary designs to help you make the most of the places you work, relax, and socialise.