Chair Database
Numero IV
Designed by:
Featherston G
Co-Designed by:
Featherston M
Designer:
Grant Featherston
Co-Designer:
Mary Featherston
Date of Design:
1970-73
Date of Manufacture:
1973
Decade:
1970s
Region:
Australasia
Significance:
Largest one piece injection moulded furniture to date
Manufacturer:
Uniroyal
Material:
Polyurethane
Process:
Injection moulded
Monobloc:
No
Cantilever:
No
Renewable Carbon:
No
Weight:
Note:
Country of origin: Australia. Image: MASS. The Australian design team Grand and Mary Featherston proposed the development of a high volume, low-cost seating solution for the home to Uniroyal, a car seat manufacturer. The Featherstons’ vision was to produce a one-piece, injection moulded, polyurethane foam chair, the likes of which had not been seen before. The aim as to minimise production costs, with savings passed on to the consumer through mass, fully automated production.
Development of the Numero IV quickly advanced from sketches to models. Alternative prototype solutions were sculpted from solid blocks of urethane, first as scale models. Here urethane offered a significant advantage of traditional materials, in that scale models replicated the actual performance of the full-sized product. Shortlisted variants were then sculpted in full-size and shown again to consumers to establish their preferences. Comfort was achieved by ensuring the foam yields, under the weight of a body, to adapt and provide comfort while retaining sufficient resilience to provide postural support. The addition of a removable cover (secured with a simple draw cord under the base of the chair) encouraged causal treatment of the chair, allowing cleaning and repairs to be carried out with minimum inconvenience. The original range comprised of three items—a low-backed chair, a high-backed chair and an ottoman—designed as a modular system to provide unlimited flexibility.