Entas chair
Armchair
1931 (designed)
1931 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Hungarian architect Ernö Goldfinger moved from Paris to London in 1934 and may have brought this chair with him. The design dates from 1931 and the name Entas refers to the French 'entasser' meaning 'to stack'. Like other architect-designers of the period, including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, Goldfinger used tubular steel for the frame of his chair, although he was less experimental with the structure than many of his contemporaries. Goldfinger intended the chair to be mass-produced but it was only ever made in batches for use in his own home and offices, and for his architectural commissions. This example was probably used in his London offices in Bedford Square and later in Piccadilly. Several more examples survive in the house he built for himself in Willow Road, Hampstead, in 1938.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Entas chair (series title) |
| Materials and techniques | Tubular steel covered in plastic; plywood seat, back and armrests |
| Brief description | Armchair, tubular steel frame covered in white plastic, plywood seat and back, designed by Ernö Goldfinger (1902-1987), 1931 |
| Physical description | This armchair has a tubular steel frame covered in white plastic (possibly 'Rhodoid'). The seat, pivoting back and armrests are made of pressed and formed plywood. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Gallery label | Twentieth Century Study Gallery, Rooms 103-6, February 2002:
ARMCHAIR
Designed by Ernö Goldfinger (British, born Hungary, 1902-1987)
Tubular steel frame covered with white plastic ('Rhodoid'),
plywood seat, back and arms
About 1931
This is one of a series of standard chairs in tubular steel and plywood designed by Goldfinger in the early 1930s. The basic model was called 'Entas', from the French verb 'entasser', meaning 'to stack'. Despite efforts to put them in to production, the chairs were only ever made in small batches for Goldfinger's clients, home and offices.
Given by Ernö Goldfinger
W.3-1983 |
| Credit line | Given by the designer |
| Production | Goldfinger began designing the 'Entas' series of tubular steel chairs in 1931. He had numerous prototypes and batches of the various models made up in the 1930s both for clients and for his own use. He brought some over from Paris when he moved to London in 1934. It is not known whether this particular chair was made in France or England - nb check notes re Rhodoid examples. It is probably one of several of these type of chairs that were used in his offices and studios and Bedford Square and then Piccadilly. Attribution note: The Entas series of chairs, of which this is just one example, were produced for private use and commissions. Goldfinger intended that it be mass-produced for retail more widely but this goal was never achieved. |
| Summary | The Hungarian architect Ernö Goldfinger moved from Paris to London in 1934 and may have brought this chair with him. The design dates from 1931 and the name Entas refers to the French 'entasser' meaning 'to stack'. Like other architect-designers of the period, including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, Goldfinger used tubular steel for the frame of his chair, although he was less experimental with the structure than many of his contemporaries. Goldfinger intended the chair to be mass-produced but it was only ever made in batches for use in his own home and offices, and for his architectural commissions. This example was probably used in his London offices in Bedford Square and later in Piccadilly. Several more examples survive in the house he built for himself in Willow Road, Hampstead, in 1938. |
| Associated object | W.2-1983 (Version) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.3-1983 |
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| Record created | August 20, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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