ProductsChairsLounge chairsSofasOffice chairsChaises longuesStools & benchesSculpturesConference chairsAirport seatingStorage spaceMicro architectureDining tablesCafé tablesCoffee & side tablesDesksOffice furniture systemsConference systemsLightingClocksDecorative objectsCoat racks & wall shelvesTrays & vesselsAlexander Girard Antonio CitterioCharles & Ray Eames Barber OsgerbyGeorge NelsonHella JongeriusIsamu NoguchiJasper MorrisonJean ProuvéKonstantin GrcicRonan & Erwan BouroullecVerner PantonPanter&TourronCare & repairSpare partsCare productsManufacturer warrantyNewBestsellerQuickly availableGift finderOffice chair finderLounge chair finderColour & materialAnagram SofaVitra CushionsInspirationsLiving roomDining roomHome OfficeChildren's roomOutdoorHome StoriesAugmented RealityColours & materialsWorkspaceFocusMeetingWorkshopClub OfficeCitizen OfficeStudio OfficeDynamic SpacesHospitalityAirportsEducationCo-WorkingHealthcareOur ClientsA case for classicsOffice chairsDancing OfficeHome StoriesAugmented Reality - bring Vitra products into your homeA case for classicsColour & materialAn open house A leading space for a leading art collegeHigh comfort of low energyAn office landscape - without walls or partitionsServicesCare & repairSpare partsCare productsManufacturer warrantyFAQ and contactInstructionsInstructions for earlier productsConsulting & Planning StudioConsulting & planning in the VitraHausOutdoor care instructionsRepair, maintenance, overhaul at the Vitra Circle Store Campus ProfessionalsCAD dataProduct factsheetsCertificatesBrochuresSustainability reportInstructionsEcology informationpConPlanning examplesColour & Material LibraryCertificates and standardsTo the dealer loginOur ClientsAnagram SofaMikadoTyde 2 on castorsACXDancing OfficeOffice chairsMagazineStoriesConversationsExhibitionsDesignerProject VitraJust Do It!EVER GREENWhy the Eames La Fonda Chair was designedWhen a Sofa is more than just a Sofa: Anagram100% virgin wool – 100% recyclableAn archive is like a time capsuleVitraHaus Loft - A conversation with Sabine MarcelisWalking the talkA 1000 m2 piece of furnitureFrom a toy to an objectA studio visit with Tsuyoshi TaneThe Eames Collection at the Vitra Design MuseumAbout the partnership between Eames and VitraVitra CampusExhibitionsGuided tours & workshopsFood and drinkShoppingActivities for familiesArchitectureYour eventPlan your visitVitra Campus appCampus EventsNewsVitraHausVitra Design MuseumVitra SchaudepotVitra Circle Store CampusOudolf GartenAbout VitraSustainabilityJobs & CareersDesign processThe Original is by VitraHistory - Project Vitra
The Eames La Chaise
A floating figure for conversation, rest and play
1.
The La Chaise lounge chair dates back to 1948, when it was developed for the ‘International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design’ organised by MoMA. The name is a playful reference to artist Gaston Lachaise, whose Floating Figure sculpture was a source of inspiration for the Eameses.
At the Eames Office the chair was viewed as a piece of functional furniture for conversation, rest and play, but due to its massive sculptural form it turned out to be too complicated for mass production.
At the Eames Office the chair was viewed as a piece of functional furniture for conversation, rest and play, but due to its massive sculptural form it turned out to be too complicated for mass production.
2.
3.
La Chaise’s unusual and distinctive form is testament to Ray’s training as a painter and her love of organic shapes. It is conceived as a one or two-seater, with the smooth and tactile curves of the white lacquered shell allowing for a range of comfortable sitting positions.
La Chaise’s striking organic silhouette could easily be mistaken for an abstract sculpture rather than a piece of seating furniture. Recognised as a symbol of organic design, the softly undulating shell has a relaxed appearance and invites the viewer to take physical possession of it and explore the multiple manners in which the body can recline. Resembling a free-standing work of art, La Chaise is made up of three distinct components: the shell is mounted on five chrome-plated steel rods, which are anchored in a cruciform oak base.
7.
La Chaise has been produced exclusively by Vitra since 1990.
Publication date: 07.09.2023
Author: Stine Liv Buur
Images: 1-6: © Eames Office, LLC 2023; 7: Staged at the Eames House, Pacific Palisades, California © Eames Foundation, 2023 © Vitra / Photo: Florian Böhm (Studio AKFB) / Eames House © Eames Foundation, 2023