Cassina, Frank Lloyd Foundation Partner to Bring Wright-Designed Furniture into Homes
Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation | May 2, 2018
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has partnered with the Italian furniture retailer to re-release the Taliesin 1 armchair.
In 1949, Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Taliesin 1 armchair, also known as the origami chair, for the Garden Room in Taliesin West.
“Organic architecture calls for this chair which will not look like an apparatus but instead be seen as a gracious feature of its environment which can only be the building itself.” – Frank Lloyd Wright, The Natural House (1954).
An authentic piece of wooden origami, expression of his design maturity
In the early part of his career, Wright created furniture, and in parallel architecture, that stood out for its classic forms and balanced proportions. In the years that followed, he began to explore more sophisticated solutions, experimenting with far more complex designs. Indicative of this design evolution, with its angled components, the Taliesin 1 has a complex geometrical structure that ensures the stability of the chair.
Constructed from a single piece of folded plywood, it is frequently called ‘Origami’ because of the way it recalls this Japanese art.
Photo by Cassina S.p.A.
Photo by Cassina S.p.A.
The return of an icon
The first reedition of the Taliesin 1 armchair was produced by Cassina between 1986 and 1990. Thirty years later Cassina is unveiling a new version in accordance with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Completely manufactured in Cassina’s carpentry workshop, the armchair combines hand-craftsmanship with the most advanced wood processing technologies.
The project has been further developed thanks to the study of original drawings and the research and reconstruction work carried out by Cassina for the first reedition under the guidance of Professor Filippo Alison. Compared with the first edition various additional elements, such as the front feet, have been eliminated in order to place greater emphasis on its folds, and the armchair is even more comfortable thanks to its thicker padding and more reclined backrest.
LEARN MORE
The Taliesin 1 chair is available for purchase through Cassina.
materials
Structure in beech plywood with cherry wood veneer, natural or stained black oak, seat and backrest in polyurethane foam, upholstery in leather or fabric from the Cassina Collections.
Special version with a matt lacquered beech plywood structure in burgundy, petrol green or blue with visible wooden edges, seat and backrest in polyurethane foam, upholstery in short hair leather in the same shade as the structure.
dimensions
88x88xh76.5/38cm
Please contact Cassina for information on pricing and purchase.
