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SE 69

Chair
1952 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In 1951 the German radio station Suddeutsche Rundfunk commissioned Egon Eiermann to design a stackable chair for the station’s concert hall at the Villa Berg, Stuttgart. He designed a chair with a moulded plywood seat and back which were attached to a thick tubular steel frame. The Villa Berg chair formed the basis for a series of standard chairs – including this chair, the SE 69 – which Eiermann developed with Wilde + Spieth from 1952. All with plywood seats and backs, these chairs had more refined and slender steel frames than the Villa Berg model.

The SE 69 has three legs – there was also a four-legged version, the SE 68 – and was available in a variety of finishes including vinyl covering. The moulded plywood seat and back were economical for mass production. The well-proportioned shape was also seen by experts as an exemplary design.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleSE 69 (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Moulded beech plywood seat and back covered with yellow vinyl; tubular steel frame, rubber mounts, metal fittings
Brief description
SE 69 chair, designed by Egon Eiermann, manufactured by Wilde + Spieth, moulded beech plywood with yellow vinyl covering, tubular steel frame, rubber mounts, metal fittings, Esslingen, Germany, designed 1952
Physical description
Three-legged chair with moulded beech plywood seat and back covered with yellow vinyl and slender tubular steel frame. The seat and back have gentle curves that are moulded to fit the human body. They are attached to the frame by screws and rubber mounts.
Dimensions
  • Height: 72.8cm
  • Width: 47cm
  • Depth: 48cm
  • Seat height height: 46cm
Production typeMass produced
Summary
In 1951 the German radio station Suddeutsche Rundfunk commissioned Egon Eiermann to design a stackable chair for the station’s concert hall at the Villa Berg, Stuttgart. He designed a chair with a moulded plywood seat and back which were attached to a thick tubular steel frame. The Villa Berg chair formed the basis for a series of standard chairs – including this chair, the SE 69 – which Eiermann developed with Wilde + Spieth from 1952. All with plywood seats and backs, these chairs had more refined and slender steel frames than the Villa Berg model.

The SE 69 has three legs – there was also a four-legged version, the SE 68 – and was available in a variety of finishes including vinyl covering. The moulded plywood seat and back were economical for mass production. The well-proportioned shape was also seen by experts as an exemplary design.
Collection
Accession number
W.13-2017

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Record createdJanuary 24, 2017
Record URL
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