Front Studio Reimagines Thonet's Classic Bistro Chair

Swedish studio Front has reimagined the classic No. 14 bentwood chair created by Gebrüder Thonet Vienna with its one-armed N.0 design. The chair was launched at Milan design week.

The N.0's backrest, which is made from Thonet's trademark bentwood, is available in classic rattan or covered in a textile mesh. Front's design comes in two alternative versions, with one featuring a single loop-like arm.

According to Dezeen, the circular back of Front's chair is inspired by the original essence of the round seat of the original No. 14. It's a feature introduced in year 1859 after cabinetmaker Michael Thonet sought a mass production plan to create the first affordable mass-manufactured chair.

He used a wood-bending technique to make the chair using just a small number of standard parts, which made manufacturing faster and more efficient. Since then, up to millions of No. 14s have been sold worldwide, which has become the main inspiration for Front.

Thonet's furniture has been reinterpreted time and again by designers. The chair design has been described "one of the most beautiful chairs there is" and admired by many architects, according to International Herald Tribune.

Front's chair was displayed at Salone del Mobile fair during the Milan design week, alongside armchairs designed by LucidiPevere and sofas by Philippe Nigro. The Swedish studio has similarly collaborated with Danish duo GamFratesi to create a looped coat hanger from steam-bent wood and a wide-ranging outdoor furniture.

Front was established in year 2003 as a design collective of four, that includes Anna Lindgren and Sofia Lagerkvis as the active founding members of the studio. Some other works created by the studio also displayed in the Salone fair includes an eight-person sofa furniture, created for Offecct and aimed at office workers.