Tulip chair
The Tulip chair was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1955 and 1956 for the Knoll company of New York City. The designs were initially entitled the 'Pedestal Group' before Saarinen and Knoll settled on the more organic sounding 'Tulip chair' to mirror its inspiration from nature. It was designed primarily as a chair to match the complementary dining table.
Also recorded as Tulip Armchair · Model 150
Tulip chair
Holger Ellgaard · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Tulip chair
- Field
- chair
- Period
- 1956
- Related practice
- aluminium · glass fiber
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Documentary summary
The Tulip chair was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1955 and 1956 for the Knoll company of New York City. The designs were initially entitled the 'Pedestal Group' before Saarinen and Knoll settled on the more organic sounding 'Tulip chair' to mirror its inspiration from nature. It was designed primarily as a chair to match the complementary dining table.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q2916267 · wikipedia · Tulip chair
In this article
Overview
Overview
The chair has the smooth lines of modernism and was experimental with materials for its time. The chair is considered a classic example of industrial design. The chair is often considered "Space Age" for its futuristic use of curves and artificial materials.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Tulip chair • Designer — Eero Saarinen • Date — 1956 • Materials — Aluminium base, Fiberglass frame. Leather or fabric cushions • Style — Modernist • Height — 80 cm • Width — 50 cm • Depth — 56 cm
Design and construction
Design and construction
Saarinen said: "The undercarriage of chairs and tables in a typical interior makes an ugly, confusing, unrestful world. I wanted to clear up the slum of legs. I wanted to make the chair all one thing again." Saarinen had hoped to produce the chair as a one-piece unit made entirely of fiberglass, but this material was not able to support the base, and prototypes were prone to breakage. As a result, the base of the tulip chair is of cast aluminum with a rilsan-coated finish to match the upper shell, giving the appearance of a single unit. The upper shell is molded fiberglass, with a reinforced, plastic bonded finish. The upholstered foam cushion is removable with Velcro fastening. Saarinen was awarded a patent for the Tulip chair in 1960.
Project Cybersyn
Project Cybersyn
In 1971, a modified form of the Tulip chair was used in the design of Project Cybersyn.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Tulip chair”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2916267: Tulip chair
Unverified · Wikidata
Awards
• Museum of Modern Art Award, 1969 • Federal Award for Industrial Design, 1969 • Design Center Stuttgart Award, 1962
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Museum of Modern Art. Eero Saarinen. Tulip Armchair (model 150): 1955-56.
- 2.knoll.com. KnollStudio Tulip Chair.
- 3.A Tulip Design History. The Little Tulip Shop.
- 4.Ronan, Alex. Design Dictionary: Tulip Chair. Dwell magazine. January 28, 2015.
- 5.US patent 2939517 Tulip chair
- 6.Free As In Beer: Cybernetic Science Fictions accessed April 7, 2012
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedauthority record
Unverified
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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