I was asked to design a new chair to accompany the Santiago dining table...
It bears all the lightness of Nordic design, translated into geometric shapes and softening facets. The material of choice is wood, in varying thickness for the backrest, with the padded nylon covered in fabric or leather. Yet the real crux of the project is the junction between the backrest and the seating being constructed with no visible screws, with great technique and artistry that transform a critical point into an element of great resistance of the seat, also suited to the strains of contract utilisation. In a sign of project continuity, the designer recaptures the theme of the reinforcing rods in the base of the seating, which were the characteristic features of the 2014 Emil small table and the Santiago table, presented on the occasion of the 2015 Salone.
“I was asked to design a new chair to accompany the Santiago dining table I had designed for Zanotta,” declares Frank Rettenbacher. “I wanted to utilise the same wood as the table, but to also add a touch of comfort and colour with an upholstered seat. The greatest challenge was attaching the backrest to the removable padding without using visible screws. After intensive consultation with the technical team, we arrived at a concealed attachment that sees the backrest ‘floating’ above the seat. The choice between various typologies of wood, the variety of fabrics and the two bases render the ‘June’ ideal both for the contract as well as domestic market.”
