Not currently on display at the V&A

Marko

Chair
1960s (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The 'Marko' chair was designed by Jac Vogels in the 1960s. It is a plastic stackable chair, which have been used in schools since the 1960s. Robin Day, a British designer, created the polyprop chair in 1963. It became immediately popular in schools due to the fact it was lightweight, inexpensive and practical to store.

The chair was acquired for the 2010 exhibition 'Sit Down: Seating for Kids' for the section titled 'Children learning'. This section looks at seating used by children in formal and informal learning environments and how this has changed and developed since new attitudes about how children learn have evolved.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMarko (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Plastic
Brief description
A red 'Marko' chair designed by Jac Vogels in the 1960s
Physical description
A red plastic chair with cream legs. The legs have a black band at the bottom. The seat is purely red with a hole at the back. The legs are designed so that the chairs are stackable.
Dimensions
  • Height: 54.7cm
  • Width: 34.5cm
  • Depth: 29.3cm
Production typeMass produced
Gallery label
'Marko' stackable chair 1960-1969 Plastic stackable chairs have been used in schools since the 1960s. British designer Robin Day created the polyprop chair in 1963. It immediately became a favourite in British schools. It is lightweight, inexpensive and practical to store. It replaced wooden versions by companies such as Ercol. This example is by Jac Vogels. School chairs have changed little since, despite the changing size of children's bodies. Arguments for improved ergonomic designs are gradually gaining support following increasing reports about pupils suffering from back pain.
Summary
The 'Marko' chair was designed by Jac Vogels in the 1960s. It is a plastic stackable chair, which have been used in schools since the 1960s. Robin Day, a British designer, created the polyprop chair in 1963. It became immediately popular in schools due to the fact it was lightweight, inexpensive and practical to store.

The chair was acquired for the 2010 exhibition 'Sit Down: Seating for Kids' for the section titled 'Children learning'. This section looks at seating used by children in formal and informal learning environments and how this has changed and developed since new attitudes about how children learn have evolved.
Collection
Accession number
B.207-2009

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Record createdMarch 16, 2010
Record URL
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