Pogo thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Pogo

Chair
1956 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The 'Pogo' chair was created by the architect- designers, Peter and Alison Smithson, for the 'House of the Future' exhibit at the Ideal Home Exhibition of 1956. The exhibit was an example of a home which could be mass-produced. The shell of the house and its walls were cast from plastic-impregnated fibrous plaster. Most furniture was built into the shell and chairs were the only freely movable pieces. The chairs included some made of custom-moulded fibreglass in organic shapes but the 'Pogo' chair, unusually, was constructed from standard parts such as Perspex panels and tubular steel. The seat and back rest are hinged to fold inwards so that the chair could be stacked when not in use for dining. The functional, geometric buildings designed by the Smithsons feature smooth planes of concrete and glass, very close in mood to the design of this chair.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePogo (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Tubular steel with Perspex panels
Brief description
Folding chair, steel and Perspex, designed by Peter and Alison Smithson, 1956
Physical description
Tubular steel frame formed of single upright with support for seat and u-shaped base, with folding back and seat made from rectangles of Perspex.
Dimensions
  • Height: 89.8cm
  • Width: 71.1cm
  • Depth: 44.4cm
Converted from feet & inches measurement in acquisition register, not checked against object.
Object history
Designed for the 'House of the Future' exhibit at the Ideal Home Exhibition of 1956. Original design drawing for this in PDP dept. (see E.663-1978). There is also a photograph of the interior showing a similar chair (see E.663B-1978)

The chair was purchased in 1975 for £25
Summary
The 'Pogo' chair was created by the architect- designers, Peter and Alison Smithson, for the 'House of the Future' exhibit at the Ideal Home Exhibition of 1956. The exhibit was an example of a home which could be mass-produced. The shell of the house and its walls were cast from plastic-impregnated fibrous plaster. Most furniture was built into the shell and chairs were the only freely movable pieces. The chairs included some made of custom-moulded fibreglass in organic shapes but the 'Pogo' chair, unusually, was constructed from standard parts such as Perspex panels and tubular steel. The seat and back rest are hinged to fold inwards so that the chair could be stacked when not in use for dining. The functional, geometric buildings designed by the Smithsons feature smooth planes of concrete and glass, very close in mood to the design of this chair.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.81-1975

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdDecember 21, 2007
Record URL
Download as: JSON