Landi chair Hans Coray, 1938

The Landi chair – Swiss National Exhibition of 1939

The Landi chair developed for the Swiss National Exhibition of 1939 occupies an important place in the design history of the 20th century: with it, Hans Coray created the innovative typology of the three-dimensionally shaped seat shell on a separate base frame. The clear structure of the chair, which is made entirely of aluminum, is divided into two parts: Two U-shaped brackets welded together via crossbars to form a self-supporting chassis serve simultaneously as legs and low armrests. A seat shell is mounted on this base frame, making ideal use of the material’s possibilities: The 91 punched-out holes not only save weight and ensure the flexibility of the comfortable shell, they also give the graceful Landi its unmistakable expression. The lightweight, stackable Landi chair is robust and weatherproof. Technical innovation, consistent use of materials, formal reduction and understated elegance are the elements that have made the Landi chair a classic over the years, which today looks as fresh as ever.

Production of the Landi chair

The production of the Landi chair involves countless steps, many of them laborious manual work. The film documents individual production steps and provides background information, narrated by Rolf Fehlbaum.

Designer:

This product was designed by Hans Coray
Hans Coray grew up in Zurich, earned a doctorate in Romance studies and began experimenting with metal and wire working techniques as a self-taught artist in the early 1930s, applying them to designs for furniture, other products and sculptures. He was at home in the artistic circles surrounding the Dada movement and the Zurich Concretists such as Max Bill, Verena Loewensberg and Hans Fischli. In the summer of 1938, Bauhaus student Hans Fischli asked him to design models for the official chair of the 1939 Swiss National Exhibition, which were to be „new in every respect“ In a very short time, Hans Coray developed two prototypes, his design goal was „a chair made entirely of aluminum for vertical stacking“. He wanted to create a light and graceful chair that had a friendly expression and offered users outstanding comfort. The Landi chair, his first realized chair design, became a milestone in design. The humanist Coray continued to create furniture into the 1950s, and in later years he increasingly devoted himself to painting and sculpture.

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Bruno Wickart AG, Zug – Vitra’s preferred specialist retail partner in the Zug, Lucerne and Zurich area

Bruno Wickart AG and Vitra maintain a close and cooperative partnership. The Bruno Wickart range includes several Vitra novelties and bestsellers by designers such as Eames, Panton, Girard, Prouvé, Morrison, Bouroullec, Nelson and Citterio, to name but a few.
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