Germany, 1967
lacquered fiberglass 42 h × 18 w × 23 d in (107 × 46 × 58 cm)
Günter Beltzig designed the Floris chair in 1967. First exhibited at the Cologne furniture fair of 1968, this futuristic form caught the attention of the American market.
Günter Beltzig designed the Floris chair in 1967. First exhibited at the Cologne furniture fair of 1968, this futuristic form caught the attention of the American market.
When asked what inspired the design, Beltzig explained that the atmosphere of the 1960s was influential. World events, such as America sending a man to the moon and the preparation for the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam, made the possibilities seem endless. To him, the world seemed full of potential and Beltzig wanted to produce a chair that matched the great future ahead. With an era marked by progress inspiring the form, the chair is aptly named Floris, a reference to both the peace movement and the natural world.
Beltzig’s Floris chair is an ergonomic form with three legs and designed to support the three points needed for seating: the neck, rear, and back. Further the chair is light, stackable and stable. Made of fiberglass, the biomorphic form captures the spirit of the material. Due the difficulty of production, approximately fifty examples of this form were produced between 1968 and 1974.
literature: L' Utopie du Tout Plastique: 1960-1973, Decelle, Hennebert and Loze, pg. 76