Berlin, Germany
“A project like Citizen is not about innovation or reinvention, but sometimes you end up discovering something novel,” states Konstantin Grcic.
Konstantin Grcic has designed a new lounge chair for Vitra that reinterprets the traditional lounge chair in an unconventional way.
Citizen features an unusual type of construction: its seat is freely suspended from the frame on three steel cables.
The inspiration for the chair came via the Hardoy Chair, also known as the Butterfly Chair, designed by Jorge Ferrari-Hardoy and originally made by Knoll from 1947 until 1950.
Jorge Ferrari-Hardoy’s chair has a very simple construction: a seat in the form of a canvas or leather sack is suspended at four points on a lightweight, curved metal frame. The seat is stretched between the frame.
For Citizen, however, Grcic modified the original idea considerably during the development process: three steel cables are used to suspend the seat from the supporting structure, while the backrest is fixed to the frame.
The steel cables are stronger than is actually necessary to support a person’s weight.
The thickness gives the cables a certain strength and spring tension, which enables us to define and control the movement of the seat.
The seat should not move in an unchecked fashion – it shouldn’t “float.”
A project like Citizen is not about innovation or reinvention, but sometimes you end up discovering something novel.
The simple suspension creates a brand new way of sitting.
The motion is free, yet soft and subtle. There’s almost something meditative about it.
A bit like instinctively adjusting your sitting position on a soft cushion.
Grcic finds that very pleasant and appealing.
Interestingly, the movement is clearly visible from the outside, but not so noticeably perceived by the sitter.
In any case, sitting in Citizen is nothing like being in a rocking chair or an office chair with a synchronized mechanism.
Citizen breaks with the traditional image of the lounge chair.
It is lighter in look and has a more open construction, which expresses a completely different dynamic.
Fully upholstered and possessing a certain weight, it has a rather conservative aesthetic.
All elements of the chair are exposed lending the design visual lightness and a sporty nonchalance
Citizen is available in two versions: the eye-catching Citizen Highback offering an extra degree of comfort, and the less conspicuous Citizen Lowback, which can be used for conference situations and larger lounge areas.
Project: Citizen lounge chair
Designers: Konstantin Grcic
Project Assistant: Sami Ayadi (KGID)
Manufacturer: Vitra GmbH
Photographer: Florian Böhm and Markus Jans
