Cantilever chair

A cantilever chair is a chair without back legs, whose seat gives sprung under the weight of a person ( " swinging " ) and drops slightly to the rear. A chair without back legs, which does not have this springy seat because of its rigid structure, is not included among the actual cantilever. In this case one speaks of a general Kragstuhl (of collar = survive, English name: cantilever chair cantilever chair, the cantilever is therefore a variant of the cantilever chair ).

In addition, there are also chairs stools, armchairs, chairs and sofas in the form of a cantilever.

History

When a cantilever is a striking example of modern furniture design. In 1926 the architect Mart Stam developed under the name Kragstuhl a first chair without back legs, which, however, still rested on a rather rigid tubular construction. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was in 1927 with its own design, the MR20 for Weißenhofsiedlung first time this chair type in a wider public, who already possessed a greater elasticity here. Marcel Breuer continued to improve the Kragstuhl in terms of elasticity and others and developed during his time at the Bauhaus numerous types of tubular steel. Many other well-known designers and architects created their own versions of the cantilever.

Authorship

After 1929 several trials were held on the question of authorship of the cantilever, who wrote the history of law. In the first between Anton Lorenz as the rightholder by Mart Stam and the company Thonet, Thonet argued, the chair was a purely technical invention and are thus attributable any copyright law. The judges from the German Empire Court, however, saw in the chair by Mart Stam own creation, and spoke to him in 1932 the artistic authorship of the cubic cantilever chair.

Mies van der Rohe in 1926 had signed up for its variant of the cantilever, the MR20, even before the public presentation of the Stam - chair on the Weißenhof exhibition, a patent. This he successfully defended in a process 1936. Therein tried Mauser patent Mies van der Rohe to be annulled, partly because the older chair Mart Stam was an example of a prior use. This was rejected by the court, neither the similar form, nor the influence Mart Stam on Mies van der Rohe played a role. Rather, Mies van der Rohe led before that the suspension an essential feature of his invention was that was missing the first Stam chair. Thus, Mies van der Rohe held the rights to many technical aspects of the cantilever.

A portion of Marcel Breuer at the authorship of the cantilever was dismissed by the courts though, is among art historians, however, still controversial.

Construction

The classic cantilever chair has a supporting frame of a single bent metal pipe in " sleigh ", the front legs bend down and up and away to the rear. Running the frame down on the ground such as skids on to the rear edge of the piece of furniture, top to extend parallel to the runners, and serves as a support for the seat. Usually folds the frame at the rear part of the seat again upwards to secure to it the backrest, or the tubes are bent to form armrests. In this frame seats or cushions and backrest are mounted or clamped. This design principle is also used in cantilever made ​​of laminated wood. The Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto designed in the thirties of the 20th century a number of successful models.

Without frame usually cantilever come out of plastic. These are the backrest, seat, "legs" ( connecting piece between the seat and foot ) and walking a single, cohesive plastic surface.

Physics

The static (stability), despite the missing hind legs given by the fact that the resulting force will be diverted via the tension in the front legs on the floor skids or feet. The runners that run to the back edge of the chair, forming a wide bottom pad and prevent overturning of the chair back.

Sets up someone in the cantilever, thus giving the front legs through their elasticity after, and the seat is lowered slightly downward and backward. This creates a pleasant while sitting swings, the chair responds elastically to movements of the person.

Known Types

• Metal frame: S43. Designer: Mart Stam and / or Marcel Breuer ( still not clear how )
• MR20 or " Weißenhof chair." Designer: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
• Ceska. Designer: Marcel Breuer

• Model No. 31 ( glued plywood ) Designer: Alvar Aalto
• Poäng ( glued plywood ) Designer: Noboru Nakamura ( for IKEA ) - current mass-market

• Panton Chair. Designer: Verner Panton, inspired by an idea and the cardboard and wire model of Aagaard Andersen, 1954.

Rare models

• Original Mauser RB 4, 1939. The designer was not appointed by the Mauser company. Very short production period. Often confused with the post-war model, since this also has the same type designation. The shaping of the original Mauser RB 4 from 1939 is much more consistent than in the successor model. The model Mauser RB 4 after 1945 has a rounded backrest and very short arms. In addition, there is no longer the classic embossed, divided for each leg seat recess and the Kragstandrohre are vertically again. Just typical for the conception of form in the 1950s.