An icon of modern design: the three-legged wooden chair (design: Walter Papst) marks the combination of modern design, versatile sitting positions and excellent craft workmanship. Photo: Wilkhahn

Walter Papst’s credo was the “artistic design of purposeful form” with which he had a formative influence on the design approach at Wilkhahn. His industrially produced wood and polyester furniture units from the 1950s and 1960s with their avant-garde design won many high-calibre international awards. Besides understated, abstract design, Papst was particularly interested in workmanship that was of excellent craft standard, yet innovative, as well as ergonomic aspects to promote changes in posture and movement. Last year Wilkhahn relaunched the famous red “Rocking Sculpture” by designer Walter Papst as a limited edition to mark the 100th anniversary of its founding year.

Walter Papst, born in 1924, studied at the Muthesius Werkkunstschule, Kiel. He ran a studio for industrial design and product development in Cologne from 1957 to 1974. Following this period, he lived and worked alternately in France and in his adopted city of Cologne as a visionary designer, author and futurologist. Walter Papst died at his home in Cologne on 26 March 2008. Photo: Wilkhahn Archive

New interpretation of the “archetype” of the chair: modern design, promotion of movement and excellent craft workmanship
Wilkhahn has now brought out a new edition of Walter Papst’s wooden chair range from 1955. Papst had based it on the “archetype” of the chair: a three-legged stool comprising wooden components simply slotted together. He translated this concept, handed down from antiquity, into a completely new board-type wooden chair that combines clear forms and lines with the very best in terms of craft workmanship.

With standard sitting height and special sitting height for children – the new edition of the three-legged chair is available in two sizes and in various colours. In the background: the famous red “Rocking Sculpture” and Walter Papst’s bench sculpture. Photo: Wilkhahn

The Papst chair is also remarkable in ergonomic terms: the curved shape of the backrest, the tapered structure of the rear chair legs and the form of the seat platform permit different seating positions to promote changes in posture: from a normal sitting position to sitting sideways or back to front. The backrest then serves as a chest support. Last but not least, the seat platform allows the chairs to be grouped in a circle, thus encouraging interaction. From 1955 to 1959, Wilkhahn produced this chair in various sizes – for adults and children – before new materials took over.

A guaranteed eye-catcher: in a kitchen, a workshop or a creative meeting: the three-legged chair is a convincing choice in the adult world too due to its distinctive form and the versatile sitting positions it allows. Photo: Wilkhahn

Original with updated technology for joints and workmanship
For the new edition, Wilkhahn has adopted the materials, forms and proportions absolutely in line with original designs. At the same time, joints between the chair legs, the seat platform and the backrest have been optimized for using solid wood. The new, perfectly crafted joints have increased the stability of the structure considerably and make allowance for the swelling and shrinking behaviour of solid wood. A modern DD lacquer has been used as surface protection; it looks like a wax finish but is much more hardwearing.

Particularly important for children: the possibility of sitting on the chair sideways or in a straddling position. This promotes changes in posture – an aspect from which adults in creative meetings can benefit too. Photo: Wilkhahn.

An array of possible applications
Fresh appearance and colour, a design that promotes interaction and communication and the ergonomic advantage of allowing various sitting positions are very much up-to-date: in a private setting, a kindergarten and a school, in a cafeteria or a creative workshop and a meeting environment. Particularly in such places, the chair can provide completely new touches of colour beyond a usual office ambience. That is the finest tribute to one of the greatest German designers.

Modern technology for forming joints using the traditional raw material of wood: the flush-inserted structural panel and the technology of slotting the seat platform and this panel into the rear legs ensure a high degree of stability and longevity of this new edition of Walter Papst’s design icon. Photo: Wilkhahn.

Both sizes of chairs can be ordered and supplied with immediate effect. The chair is available in the colour variations of black, grey, yellow and red, in addition to the version in beech with a natural finish.

The new edition of the 360 range by Walter Papst will be shown to the public at the KAP Forum in Cologne as part of the exhibition “Work-Life-Table – design in changing contexts” until 13 February 2009 (www.kap-forum.de).
 

Save the date:
Opening of exhibition “Mondays at Papst’s” on 16 February, 1 pm, at Wilkhahn in Bad Münder.

The first exhibition of Walter Papst’s works from his large estate showcases his multifaceted life’s work and can be seen in the Wilkhahn “Labor” to mark the premiere of the new edition of Papst’s legendary “three-legged chair”. It is a journey through time that is both fascinating and inspiring and one which takes us from product design and mystical futurology to famed Shrove Monday parties – to “Mondays at Papst’s” to be exact ...

Further information:

Wilkhahn
Wilkening + Hahne GmbH+Co.KG
International Corporate Communications
Burkhard Remmers
Fritz-Hahne-Straße 8
D-31848 Bad Münder
Tel. +49 5042 999 169
Fax +49 5042 999 130
Mobil +49 172 544 9975
burkhard.remmers@wilkhahn.de

mai public relations
Matthias Mai
Chausseestr. 8, Aufgang E
D-10115 Berlin
Tel. +49 30 8411 4808
Fax  +49 30 8411 4807
Mobil +49 163 325 0099
mm@maipr.com