In 1963 Eero Aarnio designed the Ball Chair or as sometimes
it is called- the Globe Chair. It is designed by using one of the most basic
geometrical shapes- the ball, cutting a part of it and fixing it at one point. This chair is made with Acrylic and a steel
frame with leather or fabric in the inside for the cushioning. It looks very comfortable because of its round shape. It seems cosy and warm and with a calm effect. It is like a room
within a room. This chair is perfect for relaxing or reading a book. It is a
very fun and young chair. This chair spins around its own axis on the base.
Eero Aarnio
“I always said firmly that the chair has nothing to do with
space. The idea came from me thinking about what is the best shape for fiber
glass and plastic products- a round shape”
The Ball chair made Eero Aarnio famous straight away. It is probably
the best known well finished furniture of all time and a symbol of an entire area. It
is a very playful product inspite of its simplicity. It has no details at all but
the whole object is a detail itself. The ball chair was just a beginning of a huge
range of fiber glass based furniture. This chair is still being produced today
with a high amount of production.
After some years, in 1968 Eero Aarnio enhanced his design of
the Ball Chair and produced the Balloon Chair. He wanted light coming through
his ball chair so he came out with the idea of it becoming transparent were
light comes from all directions. The only suitable material for this at the
time was acrylic which was heated and blown into shape like a soap bubble. A
steel ring was made for the edge of the ball with a chain connected to the
ceiling. Cushions were added for sitting. Like the Ball Chair the Bubble Chair
also impresses the user by its originality. The Bubble Chair is often used in
music videos, advertising and for fashion magazines.
Eero Aarnios’ idea of a round seating still inspires
designers of today to produce their own ‘round’ ideas. Giancarlo Zema has
designed Moss a chair inspired from circles. It is a low chair with a round
seating made from eco- plastic. It is a very bright colourful chair that fits
perfect with the forms of nature. Different sized circles are cut all around
the chair, and this makes its aesthetics very pleasing and fun. I really like
the idea of the different use of colours in the outside and inside of the object. A coffee table
was also designed to fit as a set with this chair. Just like the idea of the
ball chair, this is very unique and yet so simple.
What is still a ball but this time not a chair? This design
we see below called Ululì-Ululà designed by Matteo Ugolini. It is a lightning
collection made from painted fiber glass just like the Ball Chair. Different lace
is placed on the fiber glass for a pattern and this gives a very beautiful
effect when lit up. The bulb is inserted inside the middle of the ball. The look of these designs are very contemporary. There are different sized balls, some are
meant to hang from the ceiling and others to be put on the floor or on a table. This
idea of using a ball for a function could be used for a lot of other different
designs. I can imagine storage places in a form of a ball, or a bag with
zippers and also a television screen in a form of a ball were audience can see movies
around it. I have no doubts that we will see more of these futuristic designs
in the future.
Bibliography:
May 2011 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_Chair
Adelta http://www.eero-aarnio.com/8/Objects/Ball_Chair.htm
Erin Agust 6th 2013 http://www.contemporist.com/2013/08/26/ululi-ulula-by-matteo-ugolini-for-karman/
All seaarched on the 3rd of December 2013
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