Happy 100th b-day George Nelson!




Vitra is celebrating Nelson's 100th b-day with the re-introduction of the pretzel chair.
In the 1950s, George Nelson and his New York office developed a series of individually expressive seating furniture, a number of which have long established themselves as classics. In 1952, predating the famous Coconut Chair or the Marshmallow Sofa, he designed a chair made of moulded plywood originally referred to simply as the “Laminated Chair”. The bold and elegant curve of the seat back and armrest soon earned it the nickname Pretzel Chair. Plywood is used for the back and its supports as well as the four legs of the chair that cross under the seat. The downward taper of the legs adds to the delicate and slender appearance of the chair.

On the occasion of Nelson's 100th birthday, Vitra is introducing a re-edition of the Pretzel Chair—which numbers among his most famous designs—in a limited Anniversary Edition of 1000 pieces. The numbered special edition Pretzel Chair is accompanied by a comprehensive Edition Portfolio.

Joel is a contributor on Design-Milk's weekly architectural posts and Apartment Therapy's Unplggd daily technology posts.