Thonet: Return of the Bauhaus Classics

The newly-launched tubular steel furniture by Thonet include cantilever chairs designed by Bauhaus architects Mart Stam, side table and lounge chair by Marcel Breuer and a cantilever chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

The furniture in the collection Thonet All Seasons are equipped with UV and water resistant surface and exposed concrete of solid-core laminate for the tabletops. The colour choices comprise of seven distinctive hues of colour collection Classics in Colours that are informed by both the Bauhaus colour theory and Johannes Itten’s colour wheel, and complemented with twelve new colours to enhance the multitude of possible chromatic variations. The colours in the steel frames, mesh fabric, upholstery and cushions can be mixed and matched.

“The goal was to create a collection that is independent of the restrictions of weather, location or function throughout the year. The refined simplicity of the selected tubular steel icons offered tremendous creative latitude for this venture,” says designer Miriam Püttner from the Thonet design team.

Classic furniture design company Thonet was established in 1819. The breakthrough of the company came with the iconic chair no. 14, the so-called Vienna coffee house chair. The second design milestone for the company was the tubular steel furniture designed by Bauhaus architects Mart Stam, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer in the 1930s. At the time, Thonet was the world’s largest producer of these tubular steel furniture. Today, Thonet collaborates with renowned national and international designers – in addition, some of the furniture is designed by the in-house Thonet design team.

The Thonet All Seasons collection was launched at imm Cologne fair in Cologne, Germany, on 18–24 January 2016. •