214 K Chair

In the 1850s, the German carpenter Michael Thonet worked intensively to develop a method by which one could shape and form rigid timber. Having eventually perfected his process he went on to design a chair composed of 6 curved wooden parts and which was suitable for industrial mass production. With 36 chairs packed in a 1 cubic meter box the Thonet 214 could be easily shipped worldwide, a fact which meant the Thonet chair quickly became a favourite in cafes, restaurants and other public spaces. And today, over 150 years later the Thonet coffee house chair still impresses with its flowing form in which the backrest becomes the rear legs. A family owned manufacturer in the 5th generation Thonet have a strong sense of tradition, but also a sense for contemporary design. And of humour. As neatly demonstrated by the knot in the right front leg 214 K: a knot which is not only an artistic embellishment of the otherwise reduce linear form but which perfectly demonstrates the versatility and universal applicability of the bentwood process Michael Thonet spent so long developing.