Six questions for Uwe Sommerlade

Can you tell us the story behind the new S 760? Was there a specific observation or moment that sparked the design?

I’ve designed a lot of different chairs in my day – from an office swivel chair to a simple bistro chair to a comfortable lounge model. And these have also included some multifunctional designs with very specific requirements in terms of how they could be stacked and linked together in rows to suit different spaces. Designing and constructing a chair that can meet all of these requirements and still look good is very complex and difficult, which also makes it an exciting challenge. I’ve wanted to design a linking chair for a while now, one in which the centre-to-centre distance is always the same, regardless of whether the rows are created entirely by chairs with arms, by chairs without arms or by a combination of the two. So, when Norbert Ruf mentioned during a lunch one day that Thonet wanted to create a new chair, I did everything in my power to make sure I was the designer chosen for the job.

The S 760 comes with an optional anti-panic linking mechanism that is compliant with the DIN 14703 standard. What other specific requirements for large event spaces does the S 760 meet?

The S 760 meets virtually all the requirements for event seating arrangements. It’s easy to handle, can be stacked almost vertically and is impossible to stack incorrectly – which is often a problem with other models. It also features both manual and digital options for seat and row numbering.

The design language of the S 760 is clean and harmonious. Which functions and details only become apparent upon closer inspection?

The S 760 has a clean, harmonious appearance, and it keeps its functionality tucked away. It works equally well as a “normal” stackable chair in small-scale settings, for example around tables, in the canteen and in waiting areas. It also comes with an optional frame-mounted row-linking mechanism, which is inconspicuous yet also easy to locate. 

The carefully calibrated geometry of the S 760 helps to minimise damage when setting up and taking apart event seating. Which components are particularly important in the design’s durability and how important is it to factor this in right from the start of the design process?

The subtle plastic leg bracket coverings protect against damage whilst also giving the chair its distinctive character. They conceal all of the welded joints and screw connections, and the integrated stacking grooves ensure that the chairs can be stacked smoothly and securely.

Aesthetics, functionality and flexibility are highly important aspects of my work, and they are essential for a product’s longevity. It is also important to design products that can be repaired as easily as possible and that can be broken down into their individual components, ready for sorting, when they do reach the end of their life. We made sure this was the case with the S 760 from the outset.

What other qualities and properties mattered to you most with this design?

For me, it was important that the chair had the same design quality whether it had armrests or not. And I wanted both types of chairs to easily link together in rows and stack vertically.

The armrests don’t simply sit on top of the chair as an afterthought. They “emerge” from the plastic covering and are fully encased by elastomer tubing. This creates a comfortable armrest that blends in seamlessly with the plastic leg bracket covering in the same shade. A distinctive feature is that the centre-to-centre distance is the same for both chairs – with and without arms – when they are stacked or linked in rows.

The S 760 works in a whole range of settings and event spaces. What are the particular challenges associated with this type of flexibility and how do aspects such as stackability, transport and handling impact your design?

With this type of chair, you wouldn’t believe how much the requirements for the stacking and linking features influence the geometry. For me as a designer, the great challenge – and the appeal – lies in developing a design that reveals little to nothing of these strict constraints.

And I think we have succeeded in responding to the demands of a wide variety of settings with a clear design that looks good in any space and fully embodies the Thonet brand identity.