Ball Chair

Born on 1932 in Helsinki, Finland, Eero Aarnio is widely regarded as one of the greatest interior designers of his time, though not in a way most people expect. An innovator up to this day, Aarnio established himself as a leader in designing home furnishings from fiberglass and other synthetic materials. One notable Aarnio design that is still highly popular today is the Ball Chair,

If there was one furniture design that Aarnio is best remembered for nowadays, it would be the Ball Chair. Highly popular during the 1960s, the Ball Chair is a fiberglass polymer lounge chair with a distinctive spherical shape. The interior of the chair is fitted with polyurethane cushions covered in brightly colored fabric for added comfort, and a wide fiberglass pedestal is installed on the bottom for support. Early production runs of the Ball Chair were also installed with a plastic telephone on the interior side, although it is now largely replaced with digital music players and other similar electronic devices.

Despite its large size, due to its fiberglass construction the Ball Chair is relatively lightweight. The chair also has the tendency to "swallow" sound, making it a perfect choice to sit on when making phone calls, meditating, or simply just relaxing.

Ironically, the Ball Chair was originally made by Aarnio simply for his own personal use in his home. Aarnio first made a prototype of the chair out of plywood, which was then used to make the final fiberglass model in a process similar to that used in making parts for gliders. Eventually, Aarnio was persuaded to display his work at the Cologne International Furniture Fair in 1966, where it was received with much critical acclaim.

Currently, the Ball Chair is manufactured by the Adelta designer furniture company of Germany, although reproductions from other manufacturers are also available.

In his long and fruitful career, the Finnish interior designer Eero Aarnio set himself apart from his contemporaries by creating unconventional furniture designs out of unconventional materials. And of all of his designs, probably none would be as well-known or well-loved as his Ball-Chair. One of the most popular chairs of the 60's, the Ball Chair broke the conventions of traditional furniture and continues to inspire contemporary designs to this day.

As its name suggests, the Ball Chair is a chair that looks like a huge ball. The chair's hollow spherical body is made from fiberglass, a light composite material consisting of synthetic polymer and glass fibers. The chair interior is lined with brightly-colored fabric, leather or vinyl cushions, and is attached with a fiberglass base at the bottom. Early production models of the Ball Chair were also installed with a plastic telephone on the side, although modern reproductions of the chair have replaced it with digital music players and other electronic devices.

Eero Aarnio designed the Ball Chair in 1962 and was intentionally made for personal use in his house. A prototype of the chair was first made out of plywood, which in turn was utilized to create the final fiberglass model through an inside mold process similar to that used in making glider wings and fuselage. The chair was eventually put on display at the 1966 International Furniture Fair in Cologne, Germany where it received near-instantaneous acclaim and propelled Aarnio's career into the limelight.

Because of its timeless appeal and association with the 60's ear, the Ball Chair is still highly sought after despite being more than 50 years of age. Currently, the Ball Chair is being manufactured by Adelta, a designer furniture company based in Dinslaken, Germany. However, reproductions of the Ball Chair's design by other manufacturers are also widely available on the market.

The Finnish designer Eero Aarnio produced many popular furniture designs in his career, but of all the designs he made probably the most famous of which is the Ball Chair. Described by the Vitra Design Museum in Germany as "something between a piece of architecture and a piece of furniture", helped establish Aarnio as a world-class designer and remains a revolutionary furniture design to this day.

Like its namesake, Eero Aarnio's Ball Chair is a lounge chair consisting of a large ball hollowed out from the inside. The chair's spherical body is made from composite fiberglass resin, making it both lightweight and durable. The inside of the chair is lined with brightly-colored polyurethane cushions, and a wide fiberglass base is attached to the bottom for support. Early production runs of the Ball Chair also featured a plastic telephone on the ide, although they are now replaced with digital music players and other similar gadgets.

Aarnio designed the Ball Chair in 1962 originally for personal use in his new house in Helsinki. A prototype of the chair was first made from plywood, which in turn was used to mold the final fiberglass model through a process similar to that used in making glider wings and fuselage. The Ball Chair was later displayed at the International Furniture Fair in 1966 in Cologne, Germany, where it was highly lauded by critics.

The Ball Chair shares close similarities with another Aarnio design, the Bubble Chair. Designed in 1968, the Bubble Chair is the successor to the Ball Chair's design, and is made from transparent acrylic instead of fiberglass to allow light to pass through.

The Ball Chair was first manufactured by the furniture and appliance firm Asko and later by Adelta, a designer furniture company based in Dinslaken, Germany. Today Adelta remains as one of the premier manufacturers of the Ball Chair, although reproductions from other manufacturers also proliferate in the market.

In his long and fruitful career, the Finnish interior designer Eero Aarnio set himself apart from his contemporaries by creating unconventional furniture designs out of unconventional materials. And of all of his designs, probably none would be as well-known or well-loved as his Ball-Chair. One of the most popular chairs of the 60's, the Ball Chair broke the conventions of traditional furniture and continues to inspire contemporary designs to this day.

As its name suggests, the Ball Chair is a chair that looks like a huge ball. The chair's hollow spherical body is made from fiberglass, a light composite material consisting of synthetic polymer and glass fibers. The chair interior is lined with brightly-colored fabric, leather or vinyl cushions, and is attached with a fiberglass base at the bottom. Early production models of the Ball Chair were also installed with a plastic telephone on the side, although modern reproductions of the chair have replaced it with digital music players and other electronic devices.

Eero Aarnio designed the Ball Chair in 1962 and was intentionally made for personal use in his house. A prototype of the chair was first made out of plywood, which in turn was utilized to create the final fiberglass model through an inside mold process similar to that used in making glider wings and fuselage. The chair was eventually put on display at the 1966 International Furniture Fair in Cologne, Germany where it received near-instantaneous acclaim and propelled Aarnio's career into the limelight.

Because of its timeless appeal and association with the 60's ear, the Ball Chair is still highly sought after despite being more than 50 years of age. Currently, the Ball Chair is being manufactured by Adelta, a designer furniture company based in Dinslaken, Germany. However, reproductions of the Ball Chair's design by other manufacturers are also widely available on the market.

The Finnish designer Eero Aarnio is known primarily for two things: his light and very unconventional furnishings and his extensive use of fiberglass in his designs. One example of a furniture design by Aarnio that has both these qualities is the so-called Ball Chair. Highly popular in the 1960's, the Ball Chair set the stage for Aarnio's career and exemplified the synthesis of both modern art and practical home furnishings.

As its name implies, the Ball Chair is a lounge chair that looks like a huge white ball. The chair's body is composed of a hollow sphere made from fiberglass composite of glass fibres and synthetic polymer material. The chair is also fitted with a funnel-shaped base made from the same fiberglass material, and lined with brightly colored fabric of leather cushions. The original and early reproductions of the Ball Chair have also been installed with a bright red telephone on the side, but more recent reproductions have replaced it with modern digital devices like iPods and liquid crystal display screens.

The Ball Chair was conceptualized by Aarnio in the early 1960s and was originally intended for personal use for his home. A prototype was first made out of plywood which was later used to make the final fiberglass model through an inside mould process similar to that used in making glider components. Then in 1968, the Ball Chair was used as a basis for Aarnio's next design, the Bubble Chair. Both the Ball and the Bubble Chair both share the same spherical design, although the latter is made from transparent acrylic and hung from the ceiling instead of on the ground.

Although it is more than 4 decades old, the Ball Chair is still quite popular due to its space-age design and close association with the 1960's decade. Currently, the Adelta company of Dinslaken, Germany is the authorized manufacturer of Ball Chair reproductions, although quality reproductions by other manufacturers are also widely available on the market.

When it comes to modern art, the last thing that people would associate it with is a chair. However, for someone with a more learned taste, even something as commonplace as a chair, can be considered as an avenue for art. One such canvas for modern art which is available right now is the Eero Aarnio Ball Chair.

A popular fixture of the 60's and the early 70's, the Ball Chair is one of the most recognizable modern furniture designs of the 20th century. The Ball, as it was sometimes called, was designed by the famous Finnish designer Eero Aarnio in 1963 and is initially noted for its very unconventional shape. As its name implies, the body of the Ball Chair consists of a large hollow sphere. The inside of the sphere is lined with brightly colored cushions, and a funnel-shaped pedestal is fitted on the bottom. What's more, the chair also features a plastic telephone on the interior side of the chair, an addition based partly on Aarnio's idea that the chair's enclosed spaces would make it a perfect place for making phone calls.

In order for the Ball Chair to achieve its spherical shape, Aarnio used light but highly malleable fiberglass. A prototype of the chair was first constructed out of plywood, which in turn was used to create the final fiberglass model through an inside mould process similar to that used in the manufacture of wings for glider and light aircraft. The fiberglass body is then coated with protective laminate, and in later models was coated with an assortment of colors.

Despite being more than 40 years old, the Ball Chair still enjoys relative popularity thanks partly to its association with the 60's era. Currently, reproductions of the Ball Chair are being produced by various manufacturers, notably the Adelta furniture company of Germany. Recent reproductions of the Ball Chair have also been upgraded for the modern times with new features such as stain-resistant fabric upholstery and integrated iPod docks.

Finland is not commonly known for being a major artery in the field of furniture design, but almost all can agree this large Nordic nation is home of one of the world's greatest furniture designers, Eero Aarnio. Born on 1932 in the Finnish capital of Helsinki, Eero Aarnio produced some of the most recognizable furniture designs of the 20th century, His works, such as the Ball Chair and the Pastil Chair, are characterized for their unconventional shapes and use of synthetic materials that were highly revolutionary for his day.

Probably the design that Eero Aarnio is best known for would be his first successful one: the Ball Chair. Also known as the Globe Chair, the Ball Chair is a hollow, semi-spherical lounge chair made of fiberglass fitted with fabric cushions and a funnel-shaped fiberglass stand. Aarnio designed the Ball in 1963 and was originally meant for personal use in his house. The chair was later exhibited at the Cologne International Furniture Fair in 1966, where it received rave reviews and propelled Aarnio's career as an established designer. The success of the Ball Chair was shortly followed by another similar design, the Bubble Chair, which is made from transparent acrylic and suspended on the ceiling through a metal chain.

After his commercial and critical success with the Ball Chair Bubble Chair, Aarnio went on to create other memorable designs such as the Pastil Chair, the Parabel Table, and more recently, the Tipi chair. Several of his designs can now be found in prestigious museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Reproductions of many of Aarnio;s designs are also currently being produced by several manufacturers, the most notable of which is the Adelta furniture company of Dinslaken Germany.

The 20th has seen various furniture designers come and go, but probably none is as well loved and endearing as that of Finnish designer Eero Aarnio, Born on 1932 in the Finnish capital of Helsinki, Eero Aarnio has produced some of the modern age's most recognizable and highly unconventional designs for chairs, tables, and even everyday appliances. One such example of a design made by Aarnio is the quirky Ball Chair.

If you have already owned or lived in a house during the 1960's you may have sat or at least seen a variation of Aarnio's Ball Chair. Also known as the Globe Chair, the Ball Chair is a large lounge chair that is shaped, as it's name implies, into a ball. The Ball's unconventional design is due to its state-of-the art fiberglass construction, and is supported by a wide fiberglass base at the bottom. And for comfort and convenience, the inside of the chair is lined with brightly-colored leather cushions and installed with a telephone at the side.

The Ball Chair was Aarnio's first successful design, although quite strangely it was never intended to go beyond the Finnish designer's living room. According to Aarnio himself, the Ball was designed simply so he could have a big chair for his new house. Always an innovator, Aarnio chose the chair to have the shape of a ball. The was then manufactured from fiberglass in a process similar to that used in making light aircraft wings and fuselages, and coated with a layer protective laminate. The cushions and base were also added, and as a final touch a bright red telephone was installed on the side of the dome interior.

Aside from its strange spherical appearance, the Ball Chair also has the unique "room within a room" effect. Due to the chair's shape, the dome creates an artificial sense of isolation and calm around the chair's occupant. The walls of the dome are also known to "swallow" sound, enabling it to dampen sound outside while amplifying it inside the chair. The Ball shares this distinctive feature with the Bubble Chair, another Aarnio creation that is made from acrylic and suspended from the ceiling.

Currently, the Adelta furniture company of Dinslaken, Germany holds the rights to manufacture re-editions of the Ball Chair, but pieces made by other manufacturers are also available on the market. Recent re-editions of the chair are now also made with other synthetic materials aside from fiberglass, and the add-on telephone has been replaced with newer electrical gadgets including iPods and digital video players.

Industrial design is often described as a mixture of both engineering and art. First appearing in the early 20th century, industrial design has led to the development of products that optimize function, value, and appearance for both the manufacturer and consumer. One such product that has all of these qualities of industrial design is the Ball Chair by Eero Aarnio.

The Finnish industrial designer Eero Aarnio is credited to making several of the most popular industrial designs for furnishings today, but the design that he is probably most recognized with is the Ball Chair. As its name implies, the Ball Chair is a hollow fiberglass chair shaped like a ball and fitted with cushions on the inside. The chair was originally made in late 1962 as part of the interior furnishings for Aarnio's new home. The prototype design was made from plywood but was later made into fiberglass using an inside mold process similar to that utilized in the manufacture of light aircraft fuselages and wings. The chair was then covered in protective synthetic laminate, fitted with a wide round base at the bottom, and installed with leather cushions and a bright red telephone at the side.

According to the story, the Ball Chair was discovered when two managers from the furniture company Asko visited Aarnio in his home to inspect some of his pinewood furniture designs. The managers were immediately impressed by the chair's simple yet unconventional design, and this in part prompted Aarnio to show the Ball to the public. Finally, in 1966 the Ball Chair was displayed at the prestigious Cologne International Furniture where it became an overnight sensation and skyrocketed Aarnio's career as an interior designer.

Today the Ball Chair is considered a classic icon of modern furniture design and is found in art museums around the world. The chair is especially noted for its ability to create "a room within a room" atmosphere to the person sitting inside it, as well as the ability to dampen sound inside its dome. This made the chair a constant favorite for reading, making phone calls, or simply having a quiet time.

The original Ball Chair still remains in place at Aarnio's home to this day, but reproductions based on the design have become quite popular especially during the late 1960's and early 70's. Currently Germany-based Adelta is the authorized manufacturer of the Ball Chair, and builds the chair in different colors and materials.

In his long and illustrious career, the Finnish interior designer Eero Aarnio has made some of the most eccentric and well-loved furnishings of the 20th century. His designs, which are described by many as simple yet quirky, are also known to be very ergonomic and used the latest technologies of the day to create. However, none of Aarnio's designs were as popular as his first, the Ball Chair.

Also called as the Globe Chair, the Ball Chair is a spherical acrylic chair by Eero Aarnio in 1963. As its name implies, the Ball Chair resembles the shape of a ball, hollowed out from the inside and fitted with leather inner and a wide rounded base at the bottom. The design is considered a classic industrial design today, but it is more widely remembered as an icon of the 60's due to high popularity during that decade.

Although the Ball Chair was created in 1963, the design was conceptualized a year earlier. In 1962, Aarnio just started his own studio and moved into a new home. However, as the story goes, the new house did not come with a big chair, and this compelled Aarnio to create one himself. After making the necessary concept designs and sketches, Aarnio finalized the design to the now-familiar ball shape and had a prototype built from plywood. The design was later fabricated into acrylic through an inside mould process similar to that used in manufacturing airplane fuselages and glider wings. The ball was then covered with a layer of protective fiberglass laminate and fitted with cushions and a bright red telephone to complete the design.

Due to the Ball Chair being constructed from plywood and later from acrylic, it was relatively light despite its large size. However, modern manufacturers of the Ball now use newer synthetic materials such as fiberglass which are lighter and more durable. Also, because of its spherical shape the chair has the distinct ability to absorb sound within its dome, creating an artificial calming effect around the chair's occupant. The Ball shares this characteristic with the similarly-shaped Bubble Chair, which is a later creation by Aarnio, and is often preferred as a lounging or relaxing chair.

Despite being more than 40 years old, the Ball Chair is still considered to be one of the well-recognized designs of furniture in the modern age. Although the original Ball is still standing at its original place in Aarnio's home, reproductions of the design proliferate in the market.

The decade of the 1960s has given birth to a lot of popular trends: the Beatles, hippie culture, and rock and roll are just some of the examples. However, when it comes to furniture nothing evokes more of the Sixties than that of the Ball Chair.

Also known as the Globe chair or simply the Ball, the Ball Chair is a single-seat chair created by world-famous Finnish designer Eero Aarnio. The chair acquired its name due to its relatively large and unconventional ball shape, with the inside hollowed out for the cushions and other fittings and is supported by a wide circular base at the bottom. The chair was extremely famous in the 60's due to its radical structure and is now considered a classic of industrial design.

The concept of the Ball Chair was created on 1962, wherein Aarnio was just established his own office and moved to a new house. Unfortunately his new house had no big chair, so Aarnio decided to build one out of scratch. After making a few preliminary sketches, Aarnio decided on the now-famous spherical design and fabricated one from plywood. The sphere was made using an inside mold similar to that used in making aircraft fuselages and glider wings, and covered it with layers of wet paper and a protective coat of fiberglass laminate. Once the basic parts of the chair were finished Aarnio completed the design by fitting the inside with cushions and installing a bright red telephone on the side.

Because of its molded plywood construction, the Ball Chair was relatively light for its size. However, modern reproductions of Aarnio's design use even lighter and even durable synthetic materials such as fiberglass. Also, the chair had the additional effect of absorbing sound from inside the dome, creating the "room within the room" effect that made it a favorite chair for lounging and relaxing.

According to the story, the Ball Chair was discovered by two managers from the Asko appliance company. The managers were visiting Aarnio for some of his pinewood designs, and were immediately impressed by the Ball's simple yet unconventional construction. The Ball was then presented at the 1966 International Furniture Fair in Cologne, where it became the sensation of the event and established Aarnio as one of the hottest designers of the day.

Today the original Ball Chair is still standing in its place at Aarnio's home, but reproductions of the design are still high sought after especially as retro set pieces. However, several upgrades have been made to chair to adapt to the modern times, such as the afore-mentioned fiberglass construction and the replacement of the bright red telephone with MP3 players and other digital gadgets.

In his long and illustrious career, the Finnish furniture designer Eero Aarnio has created some of the most popular furniture designs of the mid-20th century. He has been known for his quirky and innovative designs for chairs, tables, and other furnishings. One of the most popular of his designs is the Ball Chair

Also called as the Globe, the Ball Chair is a simple single-seat chair designed by Eero Aarnio. The Ball got its name from the fact that it looks like a large ball, cut out near the middle, and filled with cushions. The chair also features a single, circular base at the bottom that supports the entire structure. The chair was known for its unconventional shape as well as the usually bright, glossy colors used both in the chair's structure and the upholstery.

The design for the Ball Chair was first conceptualized by Eero Aarnio in 1962. During that time, Aarnio was just starting out his career as a freelance designer and moved in to a new house. However, his home had no big chair, so Aarnio set out to design and build one himself. After hours of brainstorming and making preliminary sketches, Aarnio finalized the chair's design to a spherical shape and fabricated one with synthetic acrylic material. The chair was formed using an inside mould similar to that used in aircraft fuselages and glider wings, and was covered with layers of white paper sheets. The chair was finished with a protective laminate, furnished with foam cushions, and installed with a bright red telephone.

The Ball Chair got its first shot at fame when it was seen by a pair of managers from the Asko appliance company who were visiting Aarnio at his house. Shortly after the chair was completed, the managers visited Aarnio to inquire about some of his pinewood furniture designs and instantly impressed of the chair. With its initial success and Aarnio's resolve of getting his design shown to the public, the Ball Chair was displayed in an exhibit during an international furniture fair in Cologne in 1966. The Ball was also almost instantly praised by critics, and easily became one of the favorites in the fair.

Today, the original Ball Chair still resides at its original place at Aarnio's home, but reproductions of the design are very much popular and are available almost anywhere in the world. It also propelled Aarnio's career, forging the way for the rest of his other furniture designs.