Born into a family with a famous architect as a father and a textile artist as a mother, design was born to Eero Saarinen (1910-1961). Although he is still best known for his architecture, he also has many well-known designer furniture to his name. His approach was special, as he built hundreds of models and maquettes before having a design produced. He also did this with these iconic Tulip chairs.
The Tulip chair has become a real design icon. A white round, narrow base that gradually merges into the seat. The chair appears to consist of one whole. There is a colored cushion in the seating area. Because the chair appeared in the Star Trek series, it became known to the general public. The Tulip Chair is made of aluminum and fiberglass; an innovative choice of materials in Saarinen’s time. Today the chair belongs to the permanent collection of the MoMa in New York.
