The Wiener Konzerthaus Chair was commissioned by EssDur Restaurant, the fine dining restaurant inside the renowned Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna and manufactured by Gebrüder Thonet Vienna. The Konzerthaus was looking to refresh their restaurant interior to reflect a new culinary direction. When asked to design a new chair for the venue we found inspiration in the history and context of the Konzerthaus. The Konzerthaus was built in 1913 in the style of Wiener Jugendstil and has content-wise always embraced tradition with contemporary interpretation.

Photos © Melanie Nedelko

All seating in the house has originally been supplied by Thonet. This led us to bent wood construction and playing on the gesture of classic Thonet café chairs. However, for a fine dining venue, it was important to offer more comfort than a café chair, both physically and visually. Further, we wanted to capture a contemporary sensibility.

The back of the chair features a subtly updated interpretation of the iconic Thonet bentwood chairs. An upholstered backrest - with elongated wings that serve as armrests - introduces a new gesture that hugs the sitter for comfort and relaxation. Still, the chair is light and agile.