April 2006

S 826 Rocking Chair: Unmistakable Grace, Elegant Movement

A uniquely relaxing piece of furniture: The S 826 rocking chair by Ulrich Böhme is one of few of its kind to be made of tubular steel. Its unusualdegree of springy comfort and its timeless, simple form captivate at firstsight. The generous, elegant movement of the tubular steel frame bent intoan infinite loop, coupled with the ergonomic form of the seat shell, communicate comfort in a modern, effortless manner. The S 826 was already designed by Ulrich Böhme in 1971. It was thus the first piece of furniture design bythis renowned German designer and was initially retained in the Thonet programmefor 18 years. In 2006, the S 826 will now be included in the tubularsteel collection once again.

The S 826 – at home in three centuries: in the design of his rocking chair, Ulrich Böhme has simultaneously tapped into two aspects of the Thonet brandtradition. In terms of its type and form, the chair is a reinterpretation of the classic bentwood rocking chair No. 1 from the 19th century. In termsof its material, it refers to the tubular steel designs of the 1920s – the second major constant in Thonet’s programme. And now it is to be producedonce again at the beginning of the 21st century – as a result of its convincing timeless form, which is still contemporary and reveals the chair to be a modern classic. The unity of function, design, construction and material positions the S 826 unmistakably within the Thonet tradition. Ulrich Böhme described the genesis of the chair as follows: “I laid our old Thonet bentwood rocking chair on its side and traced its outer contours, looked for the radii and the central points of the circles formed by the individual curves and thus arrived at the construction drawing for the tubular steel frame. The prototype was just right – functional, aesthetic and static. Thedrawing did not require any correction – not least because its archetype wasjust right.”

Details and materials: the S 826 has a tubular steel frame curved into aninfinite loop and an upholstered wooden seat shell which can be covered witha variety of fabrics or leather. Ulrich Böhme himself revised the details in close cooperation with Thonet, with the balance and proportion of the contours and form of the seat shell being reviewed and the cover processingupdated. The more elaborate design thus results in a high degree of value – the overall appearance of the chair appears more reduced and more graphic. The tubular steel frame largely corresponds to the original. Various accessories pay further tribute to aspects of comfort: the S 826 is available as a rocking chair without arm supports or with leather arm supports. Head cushions are available as an optional extra. Dimensions: breadth: 60 cm, depth: 100 cm, height: approx. 100 cm, sitting height: approx. 44 cm.

Ulrich Böhme

Ulrich Böhme, born in 1936, studied architecture at Stuttgart University. After completing his studies he worked in architectural offices in Hanover, Zurich and Stuttgart, as well as for the building department at Stuttgart University. Since 1971, he has focused his design activities on furnituredesign. In 1984 he developed the successful S 320 chair programme for Thonet in cooperation with Wulf Schneider, which has already become a classic. In March 1989, Ulrich Böhme was appointed professor for design and designmethodology at Coburg University of Applied Sciences, where he taught until 2001. Since 2001 he has been working as a freelance designer in Stuttgart. Ulrich Böhme has received numerous awards in Germany and abroad.