Fritz Hansen Armchair Red Wood. Dimensions: L 58 x Depth 52.3 cm x H
76.7 cm. Born in 1920 and passing away in 2006, 2020 would have marked the
100th birthday of designer Vico Magistretti. To celebrate the 100-year
anniversary of the birth of this grand master, Fritz Hansen has relaunched the
Carimate, an unavoidable icon in the world of Italian design. Keeping close to
the original design, Danish creator Fritz Hansen has simply added their own
Scandinavian touch to the armchair. 999 numbered models of this new edition of
the Carimate chair have been produced to mark the occasion. A champion of
formal purity, Vico Magistretti never stopped inventing undiluted, lasting
design. Carimate speaks of the great Italian designer's attraction to strong
geometric forms and majestically balanced shapes. Its pure, stripped-back shape
is enhanced with subtle details. Combining wooden and woven natural straw, the
Carimate chair was created by Vico Magistretti in 1959, for a golf club in the
Lombardy region. To keep in line with their values in terms of durability, Fritz
Hansen has opted for environmentally-friendly materials in this new edition. The
natural straw proved too fragile, and has been replaced by non-GM, European flax
linen rope which is highly resistant. No less than 110 metres of hand-woven
rope are required to create the seat of this chair. The frame has been created
using FSC110-certified solid beech wood, and just like the original, is
available in two colours: in lacquered red, echoing the colour of the columns
and windows of the golf club's windows, or in lacquered black, just like the
very first versions. To improve on the chair's comfort, minimal modifications
have been made to the original model, namely to the seat height and shape of its
back. Each Carimate chair is signed with a brass plaque underneath the seat,
stating its series number. Maintaining the authenticity of this iconic seat was
essential for Fritz Hansen in the design process. Christian Andresen, Head of
Design at Fritz Hansen, explains: „The Carimate is certainly a special chair
with a huge presence and personality. Vico Magistretti created a modern classic
with this design. This chair is "strong“, whether standing alone or around a
dining table." Having been awarded the Compasso d'Oro on multiple occasions,
Vico Magistretti was renowned for his simple and innovative approach to design.
His work is exhibited in several museums and is included in permanent
collections around the globe.
