Talking Chair
Designed by:
Featherston G
Co-Designed by:
Featherston M
Designer:
Grant Featherston
Co-Designer:
Mary Featherston
Country of Origin (Designer):
Australia
Date of Design:
1966-67
Date of Manufacture:
1967
Decade:
1960s
Region:
Australasia
Significance:
Hessian reinforced polystyrene with built in headphones
Manufacturer:
Aristoc
Country of Origin (Manufacturer):
Australia
Material:
Polystyrene
Process:
Pressure moulded
Monobloc:
No
Cantilever:
No
Renewable Carbon:
No
ERPR Score:
NA
ERPR Rating:
NA
Weight:
Note:
In 1966, Grant and Mary Featherston were commissioned by Robyn Boyd to develop a chair for use in the Australian Pavilion at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal. The requirement was that visitors to the Pavilion would be able to relax in a comfortable chair whilst listening to informative talks on various aspects of life in Australia. The brief was tough—the chairs had to be hardwearing, each withstand 20,000 uses. The acoustic solution required the integration of audio equipment enabling the seated listener to clearly hear the tapes of talks being played whilst, at the same time, not interfere with the experience of other Expo attendees. The chairs were required to be snug fitting, with the head well cradled and the upholstery was to be Australian wool.
There was one more requirement—the chairs had to be designed, produced and shipped in less than six months, in order to ensure they would arrive before the St Lawrence River froze over, preventing access to the port at Montreal.
Image Credit:
Ian Howard archieve