Not currently on display at the V&A

Westside Lounge

Armchair
1983 (designed), 1983 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The primary colours and simple form, recalling toy bricks, associate this chair with furniture that Ettore Sottsass designed for the firm Memphis in the early 1980s. Memphis was the first to introduce garish colours and non-traditional shapes which defined 1980s post-modern design. Postmodernism rejected the purity and severity of functionalist modernism by reintroducing wit and excess to design.

The chairs were available in a number of colours and could be tailored to fit client specifications. This chair is from the 'Westside' collection which included a lounge chair, a sofa, settee and a Central Park Table. They were designed to be used in offices, lounge areas and the home.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleWestside Lounge (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Foam, with wool upholstery
Brief description
Armchair, model Westside Lounge, designed by Ettore Sottsass and manufactured by the Knoll Studio. Italian, 1983.
Physical description
Foam armchair in a geometric form, with wool upholstery in yellow, red and black.
Dimensions
  • Height: 74cm
  • Width: 99cm
  • Depth: 71cm
Style
Production typeMass produced
Gallery label
ARMCHAIR: WESTSIDE LOUNGE Designed by Ettore Sottsass (Italian, born 1917) Manufactured by Knoll Studio (a division of Knoll International), 1983 Foam with wool upholstery W.20-1990 The primary colours and simple form, recalling toy bricks, associate this chair with furniture designed by Sottsass for Memphis in the early 1980s. Memphis was the first to introduce garish colours and iconoclastic shapes which defined 1980s postmodern design. Postmodernism rejected the purity and severity of funcitionalist modernism by reintroducing wit and excess to design. Given by Knoll International.(pre March 2001)
Credit line
Given by Knoll International
Summary
The primary colours and simple form, recalling toy bricks, associate this chair with furniture that Ettore Sottsass designed for the firm Memphis in the early 1980s. Memphis was the first to introduce garish colours and non-traditional shapes which defined 1980s post-modern design. Postmodernism rejected the purity and severity of functionalist modernism by reintroducing wit and excess to design.

The chairs were available in a number of colours and could be tailored to fit client specifications. This chair is from the 'Westside' collection which included a lounge chair, a sofa, settee and a Central Park Table. They were designed to be used in offices, lounge areas and the home.
Collection
Accession number
W.20-1990

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Record createdMay 2, 2001
Record URL
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