Saarinen Executive Armchair - Steel Legs Vegan Leather-White

In the 1930s, Eero Saarinen crafted a series of organically shaped plywood chairs that went on to triumph in the MoMA-sponsored 1940 Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition. These successes inspired Saarinen to create a chair offering exceptional comfort from its structure alone, not just from the upholstery. The sculptural Executive Side Chair and its matching Executive Armchair resulted from this vision. This design was awarded the 1969 Museum of Modern Art Award and the West Germany Federal Award for Industrial Design.

Materials & Features include a molded fiberglass shell, high elasticity dacron-wrapped foam with a genuine down feather layer, and premium fabric or leather upholstery options. The polished stainless steel legs have a chrome finish, and there are leveling floor glides. All materials are non-toxic and fire-resistant. Customization is available by request through Customer Service.

Eero Saarinen once stated, 'The purpose of architecture is to shelter and enhance man's life and fulfill his belief in his own nobility.' His architectural legacy reflects a sense of potential and optimism in post-war America, as seen in iconic works like the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Saarinen was born in Finland to architect Eliel Saarinen and designer Loja Saarinen. He immigrated to the United States in 1923 and settled in Michigan, where he studied and worked alongside his father at the Cranbrook Academy of Art.

After studying at Yale University's School of Architecture, Saarinen's career flourished, though he was sometimes seen as inconsistent due to adapting his style to clients' needs. To Saarinen, clients were 'co-creators,' and he was committed to pushing modernism's boundaries. Upon his father's passing in 1950, he became a principal partner in Saarinen & Associates. He played a vital role in shaping a visual vocabulary for corporate and university campuses in America. Saarinen's career was tragically cut short at 51 due to a brain tumor. His partners completed his projects, and his papers were donated to Yale in 2002, sparking renewed interest in his work.