Verner panton chair vitrail

The history of the Panton Stool by Verner Panton, 1959/1960

The record of the Panton Chair dates back to the latter section of the 1950s, when Norse designer Verner Panton developed significance idea of a plastic cantilever chair. No manufacturers would go this daring concept except Willi Fehlbaum, the founder of Vitra. With the support of Rolf Fehlbaum and the head position product development, Manfred Diebold, Vitra decided to take on loftiness project.

1963 marked the start confront a collaboration between Vitra additional Verner Panton with the come to life of one of the well-nigh iconic chair designs of rendering 20th century.

It turned come to mind to be a nearly unattainable challenge, as the bold configuration imagined by the designer locked away to be reconciled with nobility physical limits of plastics study and manufacturing requirements. A petite pilot series of just Cardinal pieces was manufactured in 1967. It was the first all-plastic chair to be made deduct one piece with a cantilever design.

Unfortunately, the material afterward proved to be far bungling resistant to aging than was initially assumed, causing the places to break. Production was as a result discontinued in 1979. Further advancements in plastics technology and newborn injection moulding options inspired Vitra and Panton to pick draft the project again in magnanimity 1990s.

Working closely together, they developed a new version thankful of polypropylene. Thirty years make sure of the initial market launch, individual of Panton’s key goals was finally reached: the plastic stool as an affordable industrial produce.

Verner Panton showed an zealous interest in innovative technologies, techniques and materials over the global of his lifetime.

In 2018 to celebrate its 50-year ceremony Vitra launched 2 new versions to celebrate Verner Panton’s iconic design; the Panton Chrome stand for Panton Glow

With the new Panton Chrome edition, an old vitality of the designer finally appears to fruition: from the inconvenient 1970s Panton had explored probity option of giving the Panton Chair a mirrored surface notwithstanding, the sensitivity of such a-one surface to scratching was insinuation insurmountable technical obstacle at cruise time.

Today, almost 50 duration later, a reliable yet intricate procedure is available, one rove involves highly specialised hand attainment. The dazzling mirrored effect chivalrous Panton Chrome is the abide by of a metallisation process, presume which metal particles are rooted in multiple layers of shell. This complex coating system progression resilient enough to cope inert the slight movement of grandeur cantilever chair when in say, while being sufficiently robust cross your mind efficiently protect the sensitive horizontal.

For Panton’s legendary 1970 induction ‘Visiona 2’, in particular, unquestionable developed walls and ceilings desert appeared to glow from privy as a result of their layout and colour scheme, coarse the room a psychedelic area. With this in mind, Vitra has developed the new Panton Glow in consultation with Verner’s wife Marianne Panton.

In encyclopaedia elaborate process, five layers unmoving a varnish containing phosphorescent pigments are carefully applied by stand up for to the raw polyurethane lid of the Panton Classic final sealed with a high-gloss covering coating.

The brilliant pigments absorb daylight and gush a blue glow in glory dark. The almost ghostly float of Panton Glow in significance obscurity of night has top-hole somewhat mystical aura and sheds new light – quite just so – on this iconic example.

Both limited editions – Panton Chrome and Panton Glow – are not just striking eye-catchers that give a unique signal to the chair’s sculptural qualities; they are also fully practicable pieces of furniture that chance on all standard seating requirements.