| Designer | Gerrit Rietveld |
|---|---|
| Year | 1958 |
| Dimensions | 67 x 78 x 78 cm (WxDxH) / Seat height 42 cm / Arm height 60 cm |
| Upholstery | Various fabrics possible, Various types of leather possible |
| Armrests | American walnut, Oak black stained, Oak natural |
| Swivel base | Black powdercoat, stainless steel |
| Footgliders | Black leather, Dark brown leather, Mid brown leather |
The Press Room Chair is available in various fabrics and colours, of which the selection shown above can be ordered directly online. If you would like to request a fabric sample from one of these versions, please contact us. If you are interested in a different version or if you want to view the possibilities, our dealers will be happy to advise you.
The Press Room Chair was designed in 1958 by Gerrit Rietveld for the UNESCO building in Paris. Rietveld designed the armchair as a comfortable lounge chair for journalists at the reading table in the pressroom. However, due to the tight budget and limited time, the design was not carried out and Rietveld was forced to replace it with furniture he had made for the Brussels World Exhibition earlier that year. Fortunately, the original designs, drawings and models have been preserved. 56 years after its conception Rietveld Originals presented the fist edition of the Press Room Chair.
Sketch of Rietveld of the Press Room Chair on the back of an envelope
Rietveld’s signature is clearly recognisable in the clear lines of the Press Room Chair. Rietveld also used the angle in which the seat and backrest are placed, in combination with the high-looking armrests, in his famous Red-Blue chair.
Press Room Chair in velour upholstery with oak armrests, stained black
The chair can be upholstered in various fabrics and leathers. The special double-stitch finish accentuates the clean, clear division of the surface of the armchair. The armrests are available in oak, natural or stained black, or American walnut. The swivel base is available in matt black or stainless steel and has a return mechanism, so that the Press Room Chair always moves back to its original position. To protect the floor, the swivel base is equipped with saddle leather foot straps in mid-brown, dark brown or black.
Although the armchair is the perfect place to relax, Rietveld felt that a chair was not necessarily meant to rest in. To emphasize this, there is a poem by the German poet Morgenstern on the underside of each Press Room Chair, in which this idea is perfectly expressed.
