Humans have a natural desire to be warm and protected. It’s surprising, then, that egg chairs aren’t more ubiquitous in today’s world. Every time an egg chair has appeared in pop culture – most notably in the films Men in Black, Sleepless in Seattle and Dazed and Confused, along with the television show Mork and Mindy, it has captured the public’s imagination in a major way. If you’ve ever wondered when the very first egg chair made its debut, why there aren’t more of them out there or where you can find one, this history of the egg chair is sure to captivate you.
The Womb Chair: The Precursor to the Egg Chair
Most experts agree that the “Womb Chair,” which was designed by Finnish-American architect and designer Eero Saarinen in 1948, was the precursor to the modern-day egg chair. Although the Womb Chair didn’t enclose the person who sat on it, it did wrap around him in a subtle way. Its name, of course, refers to a mother’s womb.
The Original Egg Chair Debuts in Copenhagen
The first piece of furniture that was officially dubbed the “egg chair” was a work by the Danish designer and architect Arne Jacobsen. Jacobsen designed the Egg Chair exclusively for the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, where it caused quite a stir. It was only produced in very limited quantities and wasn’t made available for general purchase. Part of the reason for its limited release had to do with exclusivity – had the chair been mass-produced, it would have lost a lot of its allure. Another part of the reason for its limited release had to do with the fact that it was very difficult to produce.
Jacobsen Egg Chairs have since appeared in many different places; 999 of them were produced in honor of the 50th anniversary of the egg chair in 2008. Sightings of the Jacobsen Egg Chair have been made at a McDonald’s in London, as well as at a McDonald’s in Copenhagen – which is, of course, quite fitting.
The Ovalia Takes a New Spin on the Egg Chair
There’s no question that the Danish designer Henrik Thor-Larsen was heavily influenced by his compatriot, Arne Jacobsen. In 1968, Larsen debuted his own egg chair – which he christened the Ovalia – at the Scandinavian Furniture Fair. Unlike Jacobsen’s limited edition egg chair, though, Larsen’s Ovalia was mass produced. In fact, hundreds of Ovalia egg chairs were produced between 1968 and 1978, when production ceased. A much-ballyhooed relaunch of the Ovalia egg chair took place in 2005.
Sound Meets Comfort: The Egg Sound Chair Debuts
Looking back, it seems odd that the designers of the first egg chairs didn’t think to include surround sound audio in their creations. Of course, sound technology was a lot more expensive and complex in those days. Around the year 1976, though, Starkey Industries produced the first honest-to-goodness egg chair with speakers. Not a lot is known about the Starkey egg chair, but it undoubtedly set the stage for the audio-enabled egg chairs of the future.
Lee West’s Alpha Chamber Egg Chair
The 1970′s was an important decade for the egg chair. Around the same time that the Egg Sound Chair premiered, Lee West designed the Alpha Chamber egg chair. This egg chair was outfitted with speakers and was, apparently, relatively popular. The scene in Sleepless in Seattle, in which the boy named Jonah lounges in an egg chair, features a Lee West Alpha Chamber. In fact, many specimens from the 70′s exist to this day.
Egg Chairs versus Pod Chairs
Scenes in the films Men in Black and Dazed and Confused featured egg chairs that could more aptly be described as pod chairs. In fact, they very well could have been versions of the Ball Chair by Eero Aarnio. Many people interchangeably refer to ball chairs as pod chairs, and both names convey the round shape of this type of chair. Unlike the egg chair, these chairs do not boast oval shapes. Many people agree, though, that the appearance of the egg chair in Men in Black rekindled interest in these unique pieces of furniture.
The Sound Egg Chair: Today’s Hottest Egg Chair
As surprising as it may seem, egg chairs have existed – in one form or another – since the middle of the 20th century. For the 21st century, though, an exceptional and modern egg chair is on the market: the Sound Egg Chair by Acousticom. The Sound Egg Chair boasts impeccable audio capabilities, enveloping the user in an incredible surround sound experience. Furthermore, it can be custom-designed to suit anyone’s style needs. The Sound Egg Chair is currently available; by purchasing one, you can pay homage to the design innovations of several incredibly talented designers – and to the technical innovations of one of today’s best audio companies.
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