One collection, four seasons – Thonet launches tubular steel classics in new colours for indoor and outdoor use

Design: Thonet Design Team: Miriam Püttner, 2015

The tubular steel classics from the Bauhaus era are now experiencing a second spring – and summer, autumn and winter....

The selected designs of the new outdoor collection called “Thonet All Seasons” include the S 33 and S 34 cantilever chairs by Mart Stam, the B 9 side table and the S 35 lounge chair by Marcel Breuer, plus the S 533 cantilever chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Thanks to special technology, these timeless designs are benefitting from a weather-resistant makeover, making them equally suited to exterior and interior enjoyment. Set to be launched at imm cologne 2016, these elegant and comfortable designs offer flexible use, not least due to the extensive

palette of playful colours for both the steel frames and the mesh upholstery, which can be mixed and matched as desired. This is eye-catching furniture for all seasons, whether used indoors or out.

Designer Miriam Püttner, the Thonet Design Team member in charge of the project, says, “The goal was to create a collection that is independent of the restrictions of weather, location or function throughout the year. The refined simplicity of the selected tubular steel icons offered tremendous creative latitude for this venture.”

Equipped with a coloured “ThonetProtect” surface, which is as UV resistant as the mesh for the seats and backrests, and exposed concrete or solid-core laminate for the table tops, the “Thonet All Seasons” models propose an enduring beauty – whether in a stylish interior, a sunny garden, a patio in a rainshower or a heated terrace or courtyard. In addition to the advanced technology for processing the tubular steel, the colour selection also plays a major part: the spectrum of choices in the “Classics in Colour” collection that was introduced for the steel frames in 2014 comprises seven distinctive hues and is informed by both the Bauhaus colour theory and Johannes Itten’s colour wheel.

The twelve new colours now added for the mesh upholstery further enhance the multitude of possible chromatic variations. Thus Thonet once more blends the past and the present, creating a connection between the familiar and the fresh, between iconic designs and contemporary technology.

The existing Thonet outdoor furniture pieces, namely the S 40 / S 1040 chairs and tables (Mart Stam / Thonet Design Team) are now integrated into the new “Thonet All Seasons” portfolio – the garden table S 1040 is also available with an exposed concrete or solid-core laminate tabletop. In addition to these models the new programme range, which will be available for delivery as of March 2016,

comprises the classic cantilever models S 33 and S 34 (Mart Stam, artistic copyright), the side tables B 9 (Marcel Breuer) and B 97 (Thonet Design Team), together with the lounge chairs S 35 (Marcel Breuer) and S 533 (Ludwig Mies van der Rohe). The new collection will also include cushions and covers in matching colours.

Thonet – future-oriented furniture design with a long tradition

The unique success story of Thonet began with the work of master carpenter Michael Thonet. Since establishing his

first workshop in Boppard on the River Rhine in 1819, the name Thonet has stood for high-quality, innovative and

elegant furniture. The breakthrough came with the iconic chair no. 14, the so-called Vienna coffee house chair: the

pioneering technique of bending solid beech wood for the first time enabled the mass production chairs. The second

milestone in design history was the tubular steel furniture by the famous Bauhaus architects Mart Stam, Ludwig Mies

van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer in the 1930s. At the time, Thonet was the world’s largest producer of these tubular

steel furniture designs, which are considered timeless today.

For the company today, the continuous process of innovation stands in the foreground alongside a focus on tradition

and fine craftsmanship. Thonet collaborates with renowned national and international designers – in addition, some of

the furniture is designed by the in-house Thonet Design Team. All of the furniture is produced in the company-owned

manufacturing facility, and, following the motto “Individuality is our standard”, custom-tailored solutions are part of

everyday life in Frankenberg. Thorsten Muck is the Managing Director of Thonet GmbH at the corporate head offices

and production site Frankenberg/Eder (Germany). The descendants of Michael Thonet, the fifth and sixth generations,

are actively involved with the company’s business as partners and sales managers.