Chaise Tout Bois

The All-Wood Chair is the only chair by French designer and manufacturer Jean Prouvé made entirely of wood. It is very similar in shape to Prouvé's famous Standard Chair, but the metal base has been replaced by wood due to the scarcity of metal during the Second World War. Through its shape, the All-Wood Chair expresses Prouvé's intention to provide extra strength at the transition between seat and back, where the human anatomy exerts the greatest load. The profile of the rear part of the frame - the rear legs and backrest support - refers to this load transfer and is a typical feature of Prouvé's designs, both in furniture and architecture. During the war, Prouvé created several prototypes of this chair in order to test the strength of its structure as well as the assemblies, the position of the legs and the connection between the seat and the backrest. The type of wood chosen was based on availability at the time. After the war, oak was again available in sufficient quantities. Because of its hardness and strength, this material was commonly used in France for building ships and cathedral roofs. As these properties are also ideal for an all-wood chair, the All-wood Chair was finally made from oak and plywood. It was also offered in a dark stained version at the request of Jean Prouvé's clients. In 1947, Prouvé's All Wood Chair won the "Meubles de France" competition. The concept of the competition was to find attractive, high quality, mass-produced furniture to meet the needs of post-war society - particularly those of refugees and young married couples. Later, the All-wood Chair was replaced by a dismountable version in metal and wood which gave way to model no. 305, also combining a metal frame with a wooden seat and backrest - now known as the Standard Chair. The Vitra All-wood Chair is one of the variants of the Jean Prouvé design of 1941, which does not require any screws for its construction. The height and geometry of the seat are the same as those of the Standard Chair and therefore meet current standards and requirements. The warm look and feel of the wood provides an interesting contrast to the practical structural design typical of Prouvé's functional approach. The All Wood Chair is available in light oak or dark stained oak.