Introducing The Piet Hein Chair from Sibast Furniture
Piet Hein, the multi-talented artist, writer and inventor, is one of Denmark’s greatest treasures. He was a creative genius known for his ingenious “grook” poems and for his superellipse table designs. Piet Hein also designed a chair with the same super elliptical shape, however, it was never put into production. Sibast Furniture is working in close collaboration with the Piet Hein family and is presenting the dining chair for the first time.
As was the case with the superellipse table, the Piet Hein chair took almost a decade to develop, from the initial idea until the final piece of furniture was completed in 1968. Piet Hein, who was renowned for working on a wide variety of projects at the same time, developed the dining chair on the basis of the superellipse, a shape that he originally developed for a combined city square and roundabout on Sergels Torg in Stockholm. Aided by mathematics, Piet Hein arrived at a harmonious geometric shape that he subsequently used in multiple contexts.
Piet Hein applied the superellipse in designing the seat and back of the chair. The slender, dual curved veneer shells create a visually balanced piece of furniture that provides great seating comfort and freedom of movement.
The seat and back are mounted on a stackable steel frame. The two hindmost legs of the frame angle rearwards, giving the chair a receptive expression while optimising its stability at the same time. A significant aspect of the chair's powerful graphic silhouette is attributable to the back's continuous steel tubes positioned quite close together - a design touch that infuses the Piet Hein chair with dynamic elegance at the same time.
The superelliptical chair stands out as a fine example of Piet Hein's manner of envisaging form and function. His ability to cut to the bone, both in words and physical materials, is undeniable, which perhaps explains why the chair still looks refreshingly modern. Piet Hein’s son, Hugo Piet Hein, who manages his father's design heritage, does not have any explanation for why the chair was never before put into production. "Only a single prototype of Piet Hein's superelliptical chair was ever made, and that's what we've used as the basis for the updated model," Hugo Piet Hein explains. He thinks the fate of the chair has something to do with the fact that his father was working on so many ideas and projects at the same time. "My dad left behind a veritable treasure trove of texts, sketches and prototypes, and it's always a joy to breathe new life into some of his hidden and forgotten designs," emphasizes Hugo Piet Hein, who has followed the process of recreating this chair with great interest and dedication.
Sibast Furniture launches the Piet Hein chair with seat and back in walnut or oak veneer. The chair is also available as a version with an upholstered wool or leather seat. Black steel frame, with or without armrests. Available as a barstool in a choice of two heights.
