saarinen white tulip side chair
by Eero Saarinen from Knoll
saarinen white tulip side chair
Design Eero Saarinen, 1956
Aluminum base, fiberglass, upholstery
Made in USA by Knoll
In his purist approach to design, Finnish-born Eero Saarinen sought out the essential idea and reduced it to the most effective structural solution. He designed the 1956 Tulip chair in terms of its setting, rather than a particular shape. "In any design problem, one should seek the solution in terms of the next largest thing." he said. "If the problem is a chair, then its solution must be found in the way it relates to the room..." In the Tulip, Saarinen realized his ideal of formal unity: "Every significant piece of furniture has a holistic structure." Winner of the 1969 Museum of Modern Art Award, the Tulip is Saarinen's genius solution to clearing up the "slum of legs" that populates the under-carriage of most dining sets.
Construction notes: Base is a cast aluminum, rilsan coated finish. Shell is molded fiberglass with a reinforced plastic bonded finish. Upholstered foam cushion is removable, with zippered cover and velcro fastening. Base and shell finish available in white or black. Upholstery available with a seat cushion only or with a fully upholstered inner shell. The signature of Eero Saarinen is located on the underside of the base.
20" w | 32" h | 21.25" d | seat: 18.5" h | 17lbs.
Aluminum base, fiberglass, upholstery
Made in USA by Knoll
In his purist approach to design, Finnish-born Eero Saarinen sought out the essential idea and reduced it to the most effective structural solution. He designed the 1956 Tulip chair in terms of its setting, rather than a particular shape. "In any design problem, one should seek the solution in terms of the next largest thing." he said. "If the problem is a chair, then its solution must be found in the way it relates to the room..." In the Tulip, Saarinen realized his ideal of formal unity: "Every significant piece of furniture has a holistic structure." Winner of the 1969 Museum of Modern Art Award, the Tulip is Saarinen's genius solution to clearing up the "slum of legs" that populates the under-carriage of most dining sets.
Construction notes: Base is a cast aluminum, rilsan coated finish. Shell is molded fiberglass with a reinforced plastic bonded finish. Upholstered foam cushion is removable, with zippered cover and velcro fastening. Base and shell finish available in white or black. Upholstery available with a seat cushion only or with a fully upholstered inner shell. The signature of Eero Saarinen is located on the underside of the base.
20" w | 32" h | 21.25" d | seat: 18.5" h | 17lbs.
$1,995.00 + plus shipping
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Eero Saarinen
Saarinen designed many of the most recognizable Knoll pieces including the Tulip Collection and the Womb chair. His designs are graceful & organic and helped establish the identity of Knoll during its formative years.
Knoll has remained true to the Bauhaus design philosophy that furniture should complement architectural space and not compete with it. Modernism is a passion at Knoll which results in ground breaking modern furniture.