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Bubbles and Balls
(Icon Inspired) - Specialist suppliers of exquisitely crafted
reproduction classics -
The Bubble Chair and the Ball Chair
  
The Ball Chair
and the Bubble Chair have become classic design symbols of a
time when people, such as their designer Eero Aarnio, were
experimenting with materials and throwing away conventional
views on what furniture should look like and how it should be
formed.
In the sixties
and seventies, these chairs were viewed as fab and funky and
defining the best of what contemporary design was about. They
were seen
in the trendiest homes and in every self-respecting film and
TV programme that wanted to be 'with it'.
Today, the Ball
Chair and Bubble Chair retain their iconic and timeless good
looks and style and are a popular addition to many discerning
homes where they make a strong statement, both visually and
from a taste point of view.
From the simple geometric form
of a ball, Eero Aarnio conceived the Ball Chair out of the
need to create a ‘proper big chair’ for his first home. He
constructed the first prototype himself by covering a plywood
body mould with wet paper and then laminating the surface with
fibreglass. After smoothing and removing the fibreglass mould
he had it upholstered and subsequently mounted.
The result - a design sensation which was instantly recognised
as such when two managers from the Asko company first saw it
during a visit to his home. Needing no convincing of its
phenomenal design potential, the production process followed
and in 1966 the Ball Chair made its public debut at the
International Furniture Fair in Cologne.
The rest, as they say, is history. The chair was an instant
hit and resulted in the international acclaim which Aarnio so
richly deserved. The commencement of a whole line of designs
quickly followed, including the equally futuristic clear
acrylic Bubble Chair in 1968.
Many of Aarnio’s creations are featured in prestigious museums
throughout the world such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in
London and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. His
spectacular designs have also been used in many famous films,
music videos, advertisements, lifestyle and fashion magazines.
The Ball Chair makes a dramatic statement in any room. A
chair, a den, a room within a room, a truly unique creation
that is as timeless today as when it first appeared in 1966.
Rarely can anyone with more than an ounce of brightness in
their being resist sitting in it and once you’ve experienced
the fun, the peace and the pleasure, you’ll love your Ball
Chair as much as we do.
The Bubble Chair is one of the
few iconic designs that had an enormous impact on the human
conception of what a chair ought to and could be. It both
challenged established convention and triumphed with gusto
over sentiment, control and mediocrity. What a feat! Today,
this classic example remains as futuristic as when the mind of
Eero Aarnio first envisioned it, bringing a space-age, fun and
funky touch to stylish living environments around the globe.
It burst upon the scene back in 1968 and represented a daring
design debut that signified a true reflection of the era. By
forcing the frontiers of artistic exploration, it captured the
prevailing mood of explosive social and cultural change.
Futuristic, flamboyant and funky, it was, to coin a phrase of
the times…far out! No surprise then that it became an instant
hit with hip, the arty and the cool of the day.
Aarnio’s aim was simple; to make a transparent ball, like a
soap bubble that people could sit in. He consulted with a
skylight manufacturer and asked for a large bubble to be blown
from the clear acrylic used in skylights. The bubble was blown
and the seat was added. So far so stunningly good. But how
would this bubble be supported? A clear acrylic pedestal was
not an option because it would compromise the design. A flash
of intuition provided the answer. Instead of being set upon
the floor, the chair would be hung from above...
And with that an iconic design classic was born. Since then
the Bubble Chair has featured in many films and TV shows as
well as in the homes of the affluent, artistic and famous
around the world.
The Bubble makes a dramatic statement in any room. A swing, a
chair, a room within a room, a truly unique creation that is
as timeless today as when it first appeared in 1968. Rarely
can anyone with more than an ounce of brightness in their
being resist sitting in it and once you’ve experienced the
fun, the freedom, the peace and the pleasure, you’ll love your
Bubble as much as we do.
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About Eero Aarnio
Eero Aarnio (born 21 July
1932), hailing from Finland, this interior designer, more
appropriately, genius, is exalted by his followers for the
shatteringly futuristic designs he created back in the 60’s.
And his creations are just as radical now as when they were
first born, notably his plastic and fibreglass chairs,
especially the ball and bubble chair.
He cut his teeth at the Institute of Industrial Arts in
Helsinki before starting his own office in 1962. Just one year
after, he brought us the Ball Chair, a hollow sphere mounted
upon a stand with almost one half missing to create a private
place for someone to sit in, or retreat to. The Bubble Chair
was next. Being clear and suspended from above on a chain, it
was anything but chainlike, welcoming vision and movement in
all directions, encouraging total sensory freedom.
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Bubbles and Balls
Bubbles and Balls are specialist suppliers of
exquisitely crafted reproductions of Eero Aarnio's
iconic Bubble Chairs and Ball Chairs
It's not difficult to see why people fall in love with
the spirit of these iconic classics. And for good
reason. The Ball Chair and the Bubble Chair first made
their sensational appearances back in the swinging
60’s, when a minority of forward thinkers and
renegades, having tolerated enough stuffiness from the
establishment of the day, decided to escape.
email:
info@iconinspired.co.uk
tel: 0844 88 44 939
www:
Bubbles and Balls
(Icon Inspired)
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