Rope Chair

A chair with flexible cord for the backrest and armrests

More of a silhouette than a solid chair, the Rope Chair Artek ’s chair is a line drawing translated into three dimensions—a simple artistic gesture brought to life in space. Designed by Ronan &, and Erwan Bouroullec, the chair is a synthesis of contrasts: sophisticated technology and creative expression, solid structure and flexible elements, rigid tubes and supple rope. The rope, originally designed for maritime use, is at the heart of the chair’s unexpected comfort; as a load-bearing element of the structure, it allows the chair to adapt to the user.

Made of steel tubing, beech wood, ash veneer, and rope

Where other chairs dictate a specific way of sitting, the Rope Chair encourages creativity in posture by promoting dynamic movements and changes in position. When the sitter stands up, the chair’s frame bears the traces of the body it most recently supported—the imprint of a user who helps define its shape. The chair consists of a frame made of steel tubing in various colors and a seat made of molded beech plywood with ash veneer in various colors. Depending on the chair variant, the rope is made of flax or polyester.