FEATURED STORY
Revolution from a single source
A stackable, lightweight chair, manufactured using the polypropylene injection moulding process and suitable for both indoor and outdoor use: What began as a classic in design history with designs by Verner Panton and Vico Magistretti conquered the international market in the 1970s, at the latest after Henry Massonnet's design of the "Fauteuil 300": an armada of inexpensive copies from all over the world turned the innovative idea into a consumer product for the masses. The material's lack of sustainability quickly became an image problem. With the "Bell Chair", Konstantin Grcic and Magis are now setting a strong counterweight: the new chair is made from industrial waste from Magis' production and the local automotive industry and is 100 percent recyclable. Together with a plastics manufacturer, the internationally renowned industrial designer has developed a new type of sustainable polypropylene, which is used exclusively for the "Bell Chair".
The "Bell Chair" is thus made of only 2.7 kilograms of plastic, an absolute minimum of material. Its price is also significant: 65 euros excluding VAT. A affordable high-quality chair, technically sophisticated down to the last detail, sustainable in its material and economically produced. With this concept Grcic wants to initiate a change in the industry's consciousness. "There is a demand for chairs that are both affordable and versatile," he says. No compromises have been made when it comes to comfort either: from the wide seat to the rounded backrests, which merge seamlessly into the chair legs. The design is available in three colours, "Sunrise", "High Noon" and "Midnight" - a soft apricot, warm white and deep blue-black. To save resources in logistics, Magis has also developed a reusable delivery pallet made of the new polypropylene, on which up to 24 chairs can be stacked. This greatly reduces packaging and the space required for transport. Plus: the practical pallet in bright orange-red also serves as an ideal sales display for retailers.
