The designer Alexander Girard, who was a personal friend of Charles and Ray Eames, was commissioned in 1961 to create a restaurant interior in the new Time-Life Building in New York City – the now legendary 'La Fonda del Sol'. To furnish the dining area, he wanted chairs with certain characteristics: The bases should harmonise with the rest of the interior, and the height of the backrests should correspond to the height of the tables.
The La Fonda Armchair, which was developed by the Eames Office on the basis of these criteria and entered mass production shortly after its New York debut, has a padded plastic shell that is mounted on a two-piece cast aluminium base.
While the shell is clearly recognisable as a variation of the earlier plastic side chair, the base was newly developed for this specific project. It was also adapted for use as a table base in a slightly modified version. With its central leg support, which is split into four parallel shafts that merge into a four-star base, it is one of the most elegant and unconventional bases created by Charles and Ray Eames.
Design:
Charles & Ray Eames
Manufacturer:
Vitra
The La Fonda Armchair, which was developed by the Eames Office on the basis of these criteria and entered mass production shortly after its New York debut, has a padded plastic shell that is mounted on a two-piece cast aluminium base.
While the shell is clearly recognisable as a variation of the earlier plastic side chair, the base was newly developed for this specific project. It was also adapted for use as a table base in a slightly modified version. With its central leg support, which is split into four parallel shafts that merge into a four-star base, it is one of the most elegant and unconventional bases created by Charles and Ray Eames.
Design:
Charles & Ray Eames
Manufacturer:
Vitra
