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"Vertebra" Armchair

Designer Emilio Ambasz Argentinian
Designer Giancarlo Piretti Italian
1974–76
Not on view
The "Vertebra," introduced in 1976, is the first automatically adjustable office chair, designed to respond and adapt to the movements of the user's body and provide comfort and support. Designer Emilio Ambasz, who was born in Argentina and educated in the United States, sought to create the ideal chair in "Vertebra," one that was so integrated with the form of the occupant as to become virtually invisible and undetectable, functioning as an extension of the human body. The "Vertebra" chair won the ID Award for Excellence of Design in 1977, and stimulated subsequent research in the area of ergonomically designed office furniture, which continues to this day. In addition to his work in industrial design, Ambasz is an architect, writer, and critic.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: "Vertebra" Armchair
  • Designer: Emilio Ambasz (Argentinian, born Resistencia, Chaco, 1943)
  • Designer: Giancarlo Piretti (Italian, born Bologna, 1940)
  • Date: 1974–76
  • Medium: Polyurethane and leather
  • Dimensions: 40 1/2 in. × 25 7/8 in. × 27 in. (102.9 × 65.7 × 68.6 cm)
  • Classification: Furniture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Open Ark, The Netherlands, 1989
  • Object Number: 1989.48a–f
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

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Design Drawing for "Vertebra" Armchair, Emilio Ambasz Argentinian, Graphite and ink on paper
Design Drawing for "Vertebra" Armchair
Emilio Ambasz
1974–75
Preliminary Sketches for the "Vertebra" Chair
Emilio Ambasz
1974–75
Preliminary Sketches for the "Vertebra" chair
Emilio Ambasz
1974–75
"Tube" Chair, Joe Colombo Italian, Synthetic knit upholstery, polyurethane foam (PUR), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), natural rubber, and tubular steel
"Tube" Chair
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"Carlton" Room Divider, Ettore Sottsass Italian, born Austria, Wood, plastic laminate
"Carlton" Room Divider
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