A Taxonomy of Office Chairs [Hardcover]

Jonathan Olivares (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 2011

Details over 180 of the most innovative office chairs designed and built from the 1840s to the present, with a colour photograph, details of the designer and manufacturer, and a short text accompanying each chair. Features designs from numerous well-known designers, including Marcel Breuer, Charles and Ray Eames, Gio Ponti, Richard Sapper, Jasper Morrison and Konstantin Grcic. Gives a visual overview of the entire evolution of the modern office chair. Includes ten chapters of technical drawings, comprising over 400 drawings, underlining the exhaustive research and technical prowess behind the book. The fruition of an authoritative four-year research project which will appeal to product designers, furniture manufacturers, design enthusiasts and students, furniture collectors and anyone needing to buy an office chair.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jonathan Olivares (b.1981) is the head of Jonathan Olivares Design Research (JODR), a design consultancy which he established in 2006 with the aim of stimulating the product design process through research and writing. He is also a respected product designer in his own right, he has designed a number of pieces of furniture for both Danese and Driade. A Taxonomy of Office Chairs is the fruition of a research project that Olivares began in 2006.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (May 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714861030
• ISBN-13: 978-0714861036
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1 x 8.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #618,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read for the design and office chair enthusiasts June 2, 2011

By T. Kinzel

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a self proclaimed office chair enthusiast (having used a Life, Think, Leap, Freedom, and currently own an Aeron) I eagerly placed my order with high expectations. After receiving and reading I can happily say my expectations have been more than met.

The author does an excellent job of explaining the background of the modern office chair, key innovations and their origin, and of course an exhaustive analysis of the various office chair components. Though I would enjoy hearing more of the design stories I can appreciate the author's desire to stay focused on creating a taxonomy and not filling the book with personal anecdotes.

The book is well laid out and the progression is logical. There are full color pictures of hundreds of different office chairs to enjoy along with the high quality dust jacket, binding, and choice of paper.

Overall if you're interested in office chairs, design evolution, or architecture I'm sure you'll enjoy this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book! July 24, 2011

By S. Low

Format:Hardcover

I got this as a gift for a friend and after flipping through it was very difficult not to just keep it! Nice pages and everything you would expect from Phaidon, and well organized informative content. A great book for any chair fanatic, or anyone interested in industrial design.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great source for all office chairs January 9, 2012

By Fashion Ho

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is a great reference for the history, styles, designers and constant changes in office seating. I loved the pictures showing the dates the chair were designed.