sebastian herkner

Chair 118 F for Thonet (2021)

Good designs are distinguished by their ability to adapt. In keeping with precisely this motto, Thonet is expanding its “Offenbach chair” range designed by Sebastian Herkner in 2018 to now include armrests. Minimalist and honest, sophisticated and precise, the new 118 F model adds another level of comfort. Range 118 is a collection of elegant wooden chairs, including two barstools. Its clear lines lend a subtle elegance to any setting – be it a private dining room, a restaurant, café or even in New Work environments, such as co-working spaces. The collection includes versions in stained or high-gloss colours and the seat is available in moulded plywood, wickerwork or with upholstery.

For the development of the 118 Sebastian Herkner, in addition to the direct Thonet history, also dealt with the questions that stood in the foreground of the Frankfurt exhibition “Der Stuhl” (1929) during the Bauhaus era: at the time, the search for the “new chair” was an issue, seating that would comply with the lifestyle and rhythm of a lively person, as Fritz Wichert, then director of the Frankfurt School of Art, put it in the exhibition catalogue. Thonet was also represented with numerous designs in the exhibition, which aimed to “invite and inspire complementation”. As an absolute all-rounder, the new 118 is in line with the idea of seating for different purposes of use, as the Frankfurt exhibition “Der Stuhl” required at the time. Another source of inspiration for Sebastian Herkner was the “Frankfurt Chair”, which was also developed in the 1930s and used as a universal chair for a long time. It stood out due to its solid construction consisting of four legs, a seat and a backrest, and at the time was part of the Thonet portfolio in a range of versions. Herkner, referring to his home town, likes to call his new design for Thonet the “Offenbach Chair”.

producer: Thonet

2021