Futuristic Looking Chairs From the 60s

Verner Panton

• Designer Verner Panton created one of the most iconic chair designs in the 1960s. Though Panton also designed textiles and lighting, the introduction of plastic inspired his quest to create a chair molded from a single piece of material. The result of Panton’s work is a curved chair with a glossy lacquered finish known as the Panton chair. The chair, which made its first appearance to the public in 1967, is still available today.

Arne Jacobsen

• The 1960s futuristic chair designs included a variety of pieces by designer Arne Jacobsen. The designer is responsible for the Egg, Swan, Ant and Lily, which spanned the last few years of the 1950s through the 1970s. Jacobsen designed the pieces for hotel lobbies, banks and reception areas, but the curved chairs with the minimalistic design fit well in the futuristic and modern design style of the 1960s. In the late 1950s, the curved design of the Swan was an innovation in furniture design.

Pierre Paulin

• The Ribbon, Mushroom and the Tongue are some of the more enduring futuristic chair designs of the 1960s. Designer Pierre Paulin used metal frames, stretchable fabric and foam padding to create the brightly colored pieces that meshed perfectly with the psychedelic decade. The pieces were affordable and durable, which made the chairs a big seller in the 1960s.

Materials

• The futuristic appeal of the 1960s furniture style developed after designers began experimenting with molded plastics. The man made material allowed designers to create free flowing designs with an abundance of curves and unusual shapes. Tubular steel, which first became popular in the 1920s, experienced a comeback in the 1960s. Shiny chrome and the contemporary look of leather also added to the futuristic look of 1960s chair designs.