A sustainable, solid wood chair that references traditional timber office chairs.
Founded in 1872, Swiss company Giroflex started producing office seating from 1919. Over time, the brand became a leader in office seating and introduced a range of innovative designs. To celebrate their 150th anniversary, Giroflex has partnered with Swiss studio BIG-GAME and Japanese design brand Karimoku New Standard (KNS) to create a special office chair. The giroflex 150 pays homage to the seating company’s heritage while re-imagining the classic office chair for contemporary living spaces.
To create the design and connect it to the brand’s roots, BIG-GAME searched through the brand’s archives for inspiration. The Holson, created by German designer Arno Votteler in the 1950s, became the muse. However, BIG-GAME focused on designing a distinctly contemporary chair; one that maintains the heirloom quality of traditional timber seating but meets the demands of the modern working world. The giroflex 150 gives a nod to classic designs and celebrates the beauty of solid wood. Tactile and beautiful, this timber office chair is also made with comfort in mind.
Apart from a simple gas lift mechanism that allows the user to adjust the height of the seat, the chair doesn’t have any over-complicated mechanisms typical of modern office chairs. Instead, it features a flexible steel structure as well as a specially engineered synchro mechanism that allow the chair to automatically adapt to the weight of the user. This ingenious system also ensures that giroflex 150 responds to movements to ensure optimal comfort throughout the working day. Furthermore, the chair suits both home and office work settings.
Crafted with both longevity and sustainability in mind.
Sustainable design at its best, the chair has almost no plastic parts except for the casters, which are easy to replace when worn. Karimoku Furniture Inc uses Japanese oak sourced from responsibly managed forests in northern Japan to make each product. State-of-the-art woodworking techniques and hand-sanding ensure the quality of each chair. Apart from natural oak, Giroflex also offers the chair in a range of stained finishes. Transparent enough to let the beauty of timber shine, the finishes include Black, Moss Green, Indigo Blue, and Gray. The company will produce only 150 chairs, making each one a collector’s item.
The design will debut in a special exhibition curated by Karimoku New Standard’s Creative Director David Glaettli and design studio BIG-GAME, during Milan Design Week. Held at Gallery Assab One from June 7, the show will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Giroflex. Alongside the limited-edition chair, the exhibition will also include an installation by Japanese tile company Tajimi Custom Tiles, with works by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Max Lamb, and Kwangho Lee. Photographs © Younes Klouche.
