The designer Alexander Girard, who was a personal friend of Charles and Ray Eames, was commissioned in 1961 to create a restaurant interior in the new Time-Life Building in New York City – the now legendary 'La Fonda del Sol'. To furnish the dining area, he wanted chairs with certain characteristics: The bases should harmonise with the rest of the interior, and the height of the backrests should correspond to the height of the tables.