{{Short description|Chair designed by Helmut Bätzner in 1964}} {{Infobox furniture | name = | image = | size = | caption = | designer = Helmut Bätzner | date = 1964/66 | materials = Fiberglass-reinforced polyester resin | style = Modern classic | sold_by = Bofinger (Germany) | height = {{convert|75|cm|abbr=on}}<br>Seat height: {{convert|44|cm|abbr=on}} | width = {{convert|53|cm}} | depth = }}
The '''Bofinger Chair''', also named '''BA 1171''', was designed by architect and designer Helmut Bätzner in 1964.
==Background== In close co-operation with Bofinger company, situated in Ilsfeld in Baden-Württemberg/Germany, under the owner and managing director Rudolf Baresel-Bofinger, the Bofinger stacking chair was developed into the first one-piece plastic chair worldwide in fibreglass- reinforced polyester to be mass-produced in one single pressing process over a steel mould.<ref name="multiple">Vegesack, Alexander (1996), ''100 Masterpieces from the Vitra Design Museum Collection''. Vital Learning Corp</ref> The material was dyed all the way through before being processed and available in a range of colours, including white, yellow, black, red, blue, green, brown, and orange.<ref>Habegger, Jerryll and Osman, Joseph H. (2005), ''Sourcebook of Modern Furniture'' (3rd ed.). W. W. Norton & Company</ref>
In a long trial series, the characteristic shape of the chair was found in regard to seating shape, maximum stability by the smallest quantity of material used, required elasticity, stacking capability, and industrial mass-production.<ref>Blaser, Werner (1984), ''Element-System-Möbel''. Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlagsanstalt</ref> The pressing process in the heated steel mould, with a weight of approximately 11 tons, lasted under five minutes and was required as a finishing treatment, with only simple scraping around the edges to remove excess polyester.<ref name="multiple"/>
==Recognition== In 1966, the Bofinger Chair made its debut at the Cologne furniture fair.<ref>Fiell, Charlotte (2005), ''1000 Chairs'' (25th ed.). Taschen</ref> The same year it received the 'Rosenthal-Studio' Award in the presence of Chancellor Ludwig Erhard, Philipp Rosenthal and Walter Gropius.<ref name="multiple"/> The Bofinger Chair became a design icon of its time. In 1971, on the occasion of an art happening in Berlin, twelve well-known artists - among those Joseph Beuys, Sigmar Polke, Günther Uecker, Wolf Vostell, and Stefan Wewerka – transformed the Bofinger stacking chair into an art object.<ref>Borngräber, Christian (1988), ''Berliner Wege: Prototypen der Designwerkstatt - Prototypes of the designwerkstatt''. Berlin: Wilhelm Ernst & Sohn</ref>
Museums, such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, included the Bofinger Chair in their collection. The Bofinger Chair is regarded as one of the most significant classics in the history of modern furniture design.<ref>Dunas, Peter, Schwartz-Clauss, Mathias & Rhode, Petra (1996), ''100 Masterpieces aus der Sammlung des Vitra Design Museums'', Vitra Design Museum</ref>
==See also== * Acapulco Chair
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commonscat|Bofinger chair}} *[https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O372072/stacking-chair Bofinger Chairs] {{commonscat|Covers for Ikea chairs}} *[https://hemny.com/catalog/chairs-and-poufs Covers for Ikea chairs] Category:Chairs Category:Stacking chairs Category:History of furniture Category:Individual models of furniture Category:Furniture designed by architects