Miniature Nelson Coconut Chair
by George Nelson from Vitra.
miniature nelson coconut chair
Design George Nelson, 1955
1/6 miniature scale model
Made in Poland by Vitra
For over two decades, the Vitra Design Museum has been making miniature replicas of milestones in furniture design. The Miniatures Collection encapsulates the entire history of industrial furniture design - moving from Historicism and Art Nouveau to the New Objectivity of Bauhaus and Radical Design, and from Postmodernism all the way up to the present day. Exactly one sixth of the size of the historical originals, the chairs are all true to scale and precisely recreate the smallest details of construction, material and color. The high standard of authenticity even extends to the natural grain of the wood, the reproduction of screws and the elaborate handicraft techniques involved. This has made the miniatures into popular collector's items as well as ideal illustrative material for universities, design schools and architects.
In contrast to the trend of adapting sitting furniture to the requirements of the human body, George Nelson designs sitting objects from the formal repertoire of spontaneous, popular everyday culture. The shapes he used were strongly stimulated by the art of the 1950s. His symbolic statements promoted a new, very casual form of sitting. Nelson's Coconut Chair was inspired by the coconut shell. The seat consists of a glass-fiber reinforced plastic shell with upholstery. The three-legged base of tubular steel is stabilized using fine crossbars. One has the impression that the frame spans the floating, swinging form taut and fixes it to the floor.
Each Vitra miniature is true to the original in construction and materials, and reduced in size on a scale of 1:6. Each miniature is packaged in a wooden box, accompanied by an informational booklet. Production notes: Each of the delicate objects are made by hand; on average, each miniature requires five hours of careful manual work. Ongoing quality control ensures that every miniature corresponds to its larger original in terms of finishing, details and materials.
5.5" h | 6.25" w | 5.75" d
1/6 miniature scale model
Made in Poland by Vitra
For over two decades, the Vitra Design Museum has been making miniature replicas of milestones in furniture design. The Miniatures Collection encapsulates the entire history of industrial furniture design - moving from Historicism and Art Nouveau to the New Objectivity of Bauhaus and Radical Design, and from Postmodernism all the way up to the present day. Exactly one sixth of the size of the historical originals, the chairs are all true to scale and precisely recreate the smallest details of construction, material and color. The high standard of authenticity even extends to the natural grain of the wood, the reproduction of screws and the elaborate handicraft techniques involved. This has made the miniatures into popular collector's items as well as ideal illustrative material for universities, design schools and architects.
In contrast to the trend of adapting sitting furniture to the requirements of the human body, George Nelson designs sitting objects from the formal repertoire of spontaneous, popular everyday culture. The shapes he used were strongly stimulated by the art of the 1950s. His symbolic statements promoted a new, very casual form of sitting. Nelson's Coconut Chair was inspired by the coconut shell. The seat consists of a glass-fiber reinforced plastic shell with upholstery. The three-legged base of tubular steel is stabilized using fine crossbars. One has the impression that the frame spans the floating, swinging form taut and fixes it to the floor.
Each Vitra miniature is true to the original in construction and materials, and reduced in size on a scale of 1:6. Each miniature is packaged in a wooden box, accompanied by an informational booklet. Production notes: Each of the delicate objects are made by hand; on average, each miniature requires five hours of careful manual work. Ongoing quality control ensures that every miniature corresponds to its larger original in terms of finishing, details and materials.
5.5" h | 6.25" w | 5.75" d
write a review now
George Nelson
George Nelson was a founder of Mid-Century American Modernism and a prolific designer. While Design Director for Herman Miller, Nelson & associates created modern icons such as the bubble lamp and the ball clock.
Vitra is a Swiss company dedicated to improving the quality of life through the power of design. A central goal of Vitra is sustainable development. Trendy styling is avoided in favor of classic pieces that can be used for decades.