[Audio Guide]
A single piece of wood describes a continuous curve, from front leg to armrest to backrest to opposite front leg. The same is true of the backboard, hind legs, seat and reinforcing bars. This bent wood technology was developed by the German manufacturer Thonet in the mid-19th century, enabling mass production of parts and assembly into finished furniture. Wagner, who won an architectural competition for the Austrian Postal Savings Bank (Österreichische Postsparkasse) and was also entrusted with design of furniture and fittings, devised a chair using this bent wood and prepared multiple designs with different paint colors, seat materials, hardware and so forth to suit the purpose and character of each room. Wagner selected materials and technologies based on rationality and functionality, emphasizing the forms and beauty that inevitably arise from them. Here, the reflective aluminum of the armrests and legs is not only low-maintenance and long-lasting, but also gives the chair an elegant, modern atmosphere.
