"Aluminum Group" Lounge Chair
Charles Eames American
Designer Ray Eames American
Manufacturer The Herman Miller Furniture Company, Zeeland, Michigan American
Not on view
The "Aluminum Group" chair and ottoman were originally created for a private house designed by Alexander Girard and Eero Saarinen in 1958. This chair, with its durable and lightweight aluminum structure and weather-resistant, newly developed SARAN™ or Naugahyde upholstery, was created for use either indoors or out, and in the first years of production, the Herman Miller Furniture Company marketed the line as the "Indoor-Outdoor" Group. The flexible metal skeleton of the "Aluminum Group" provided a new model for seating furniture, serving as the basis for a number of the Eames' future designs. Charles and Ray modified the design a decade later by adding padded seats and backs; these new models were known as the "Soft Pad" chairs. Like all Eames furniture, comfort was a key consideration in the design. The suspension mechanism in the seat back marked an important innovation in modern chair design, allowing great movement and flexibility to the user.
