| Product type | Multi-purpose chair |
| Dimensions |  Dimensions in cm |
| Material | Seat shell: integral skin polyurethane foam Hind legs: tubular steel Front legs: aluminium profile, powder coated or chrome plated |
| Variants | Optional in a stackable version |
| Colours | Shell    Base     |
| Function & properties | Seat shell with cushion effect Flexible backrest thanks to integrated leaf springs Stackable design, up to 12 chairs With felt pads for hard floors |
| Care | Synthetic surfaces should be cleaned with a soft, damp cloth and a mild, non-abrasive detergent |
| Sustainability | Vitra conform to: ISO 9001: 2008 (Quality management systems) ISO 14001: 2004 (Environmental management systems) The Vitra .03 is: 93% recyclable contains up to 33% recycled material |
| Warranty | 24 months Register product and secure extended manufacturer's warranty of 10 years |
| Product datasheet | Please click on picture for detailed information (ca. 0,2 MB). |
It is the subtle form of the .03, which makes it the all-rounder among Vitra chairs. Whether in the canteen, the library or at the domestic kitchen table, the plastic chair by Marten van Severen remains formally reserved, while offering an unrivalled sitting comfort. Thanks to a special seat shell made of a flexible polyurethane integral foam, the cool design language of the Vitra .03 hides a pleasantly resilient, springy seating experience. In addition to the .03 the chair's Belgian creator Maarten van Severen developed the basic concept it in further directions: The .04 is a rotatable studio chair on wheels, which in its clear linearity represents a striking counterpart to the conventional office chair, the .05 combines the straight seat shell with a cantilever base and with the .06 Maarten van Severen has brought the plastic seat into a lounge position. Related to the .XX series is also the MVS Chaise, in which the polyurethane seat shell has been converted into a lounger with ergonomic swing and two reclining positions. All objects in the Maarten van Severen Vitra collection are distinguished by a clear and reduced form language, such as has been rarely seen since in furniture design since Bauhaus.
Vitra also produces the .03 chair with powder coated base in a version for outdoor use.
Maarten van Severen was born on June 5th 1956 in Antwerp, Belgium. The son of an abstract painter, in his own work Maarten van Severen oriented himself towards functional applied arts and furniture design with a style characterised by clear structures and individual forms. Examples of his designs include the Vitra chairs .03, .04 and .05, which he designed in 1999 and which are also his most popular works. Maarten van Severen studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, before he began designing furniture. After several years producing limited edition designs in his own workshop in 1996 Maarten van Severen began his collaboration with Vitra, which opened a new world of furniture production to him and so made his work available to a broad public. In addition to collaborating with Vitra Maarten van Severen also worked as an interior designer, including, for example, with Rem Koolhaas, and taught at various universities. Marten van Severen died in 2005; his designs for Vitra remain both a central feature of the Swiss designer furniture maker portfolio and a testament to Marten van Severen extraordinary talent.
The latest production hall on the Vitra Campus is by Tokyo architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa a.k.a. SANAA
The Vitra .03 Chair convinces with a straight appearance and a flexible seat shell.
Vitra have produced Marten van Severen's .03 chair since 1999 and while its simple appearance may perhaps suggest otherwise, it is manufactured with sophisticated materials. The one-piece seat shell is crafted from a polyurethane integral skin foam, wherein the backrest is flexible thanks to integrated leaf springs, and the large-pored, quite soft plastic provides a cushioning effect. The back legs of the Vitra .03 are steel tubing, the front legs in aluminium profile. The frame is available as either a chrome plated or powder coated version; the latter version being suitable for outdoor use. With its universal applicability and the high quality of the materials and processing of Marten van Severen's .03 chair for Vitra fulfills the requirements of a sustainable design that guarantees to bring joy and comfort for years to come.
The MVS Chaise by Marten van Severen for Vitra - the .03 for lounging
Vitra has produced furniture since the 1950s and is today one of the most prestigious manufacturers of contemporary designer furniture. Beginning with the production of Eames chairs, the company's portfolio has grown steadily and now includes amongst established design classics the latest designs by young designers. As a manufacturer Vitra is characterized by a fresh and modern approach and regularly proves how, as with Marten van Severen's .03 chair, one can look stylish and unique with functional objects. The positive image of Vitra is underscored by the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein: a sprawling complex featuring buildings by some of the most famous and important architects of the past decades. Production halls, conference centre, event halls, the Vitra Design Museum and the VitraHouse reflect, contradict and ultimately compliment one another.
From Tip Ton to .03 you can always be sure with Vitra you will receive an original
In 1994, the Italian magazine Domus published an article that was to fundamentally change the path of Belgian interior designer and designer Maarten Van Severen. The article on Van Severen, "A Way of Work for a Way of Life," was researched and written by Federica Zanco, architectural historian and wife of former Vitra chief Rolf Fehlbaum. Fehlbaum had became aware of Van Severen and visited him in the autumn of that year in his studio in Ghent, a visit followed shortly by a fax from Van Severen to Vitra: "I hope there is the possibility of cooperation, either with my existing furniture whose ideas I have semi-industrially implemented, or new furniture in an industrial spirit." Thus started the personal and professional relationship between Maarten Van Severen and Vitra...
Maarten Van Severen's Original: The .03 chair
The timeless .03 impresses with a comfort far beyond its appearance
The fruitful cooperation between the manufacturer Vitra and the designer Maarten Van Severen resulted in to a collection of products which today carry absolute classic status. Besides the .03, the MVS Chaise, the cantilever chair .05, the Kast shelving or tables such as the Wooden Table or the A-Table were realised. By reducing them to the essential, Maarten Van Severen's designs are timeless, giving them the potential to become true design classics. The designer worked with Vitra until illness no longer allowed this. Maarten Van Severen died in 2005. In collaboration with his widow Marij de Brabandere and the Maarten Van Severen Foundation, the originals of the Belgian designer continue to be produced by Vitra. In doing so, the manufacturer still relies on Van Severen's original designs, so that the designer's idea continues and his legacy is preserved - from the proportions to the quality of the workmanship.
A design starts with a memory. I want to understand the room. Master it. I think it's important to have that in yourself - that's genetic. That the value you place on precision or a certain way of looking at things is something intrinsic. Not just my furniture designs, but also how I live. - Maarten Van Severen
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