Monobloc Chair
Designed by:
James D
Co-Designed by:
Simpson D C
Designer:
Donahue James
Co-Designer:
Douglas Simpson
Country of Origin (Designer):
Canada
Date of Design:
1946
Date of Manufacture:
1946
Decade:
1940s
Region:
Americas
Significance:
First monobloc
Manufacturer:
Country of Origin (Manufacturer):
Canada
Material:
Polyester
Process:
Pressure moulded
Monobloc:
Yes
Cantilever:
No
Renewable Carbon:
No
ERPR Score:
NA
ERPR Rating:
NA
Weight:
Note:
Plastic chairs made in one piece from a single mould (monoblocs) are often attributed as an invention from the 1970s, however, this elegant prototype clearly demonstrates that designers were well aware of this potential for plastics from as early as the end of WWII. The monobloc was made by the Structures Laboratory of the (Canadian) National Research Council from, ‘ten layers of glass-fibre reinforced cotton, 3/16 of an inch in total thickness, moulded onto a reusable [wooden] form with epoxy-resin adhesives, and baked in an [low-pressure suction] autoclave at 350 degrees Celsius.’ The chair was then given ‘a fibreglass veneer and a final coating of aircraft paint.’ It was exhibited in Design in Industry at the National Gallery of Canada, an exhibition designed to promote Canadian design and to inspire industry to adapt to embrace war time materials and develop products to enable them to thrive in peacetime conditions. A patent for their moulded plastic chair was applied for but refused and the design was not put into production.
Image Credit:
Library and Archives Canada (found undocumented in the archive by Virginia Wright)