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A most elementary transparent form became
possible in
the age of massive grandfather armchairs. Visual lightness was achieved
by this typical Breuer Bauhaus design of an easy chair in bent steel
pipe.
The black leather strips give it a touch of luxury. This armchair is an
example of a so called minimax solution: the best use of the specific
character
of material and form of each element in order to obtain both light
weight
and maximum strength. Breuer distinguishes in fact between elements
that
best resist to compression, the tubular frame and those that best
resist
to traction, the leather strips. Examples of minimax solutions abound
both
in nature, like in bones, seeds or leaves, and in technical objects,
like
kites, dinghies and tents.
Generally we find, even if we can not explain the reason, that the
form of products that result from the application of the minimax
criteria
are esthetically very satisfying. |
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design practice and
theory 
