Cesca™ Arm Chair with Upholstered Seat & Back by Knoll
designed by Marcel Breuer
Marcel Breuer married traditional craftsmanship with industrial methods and materials to help make tubular steel furniture an international sensation and a modern institution. The cantilevered form exploits the possibilities unique to the material and gives the chair added flexibility and comfort.
After completing the Wassily, Breuer felt that the potential grace of the material was not yet fully exploited. The Wassily design was very much influenced by the constructivist theories of the Dutch De Stjil movement. A familiar form — in this case the classic club chair — reduced to its elemental lines and planes. The result was an overlapping, dense arrangement of leather and tubing. For the Cesca chairs Breuer sought to better celebrate the new material. An attempt to reduce visual noise led him to the continuous line of steel supporting a cantilevered seat — one of the most copied concepts in 20th century furniture.
Construction and Details
- Seat and back are urethane foam over molded plywood
- Frame is 1” diameter chrome-plated round steel tube with a polished finish
- Plastic glides protect the floor and prevent the stool from tipping forward
- The KnollStudio logo and signature of Marcel Breuer are stamped into the base of the chair
- Certified Clean Air GOLD
- If you see a fabric or special configuration you like, please call us at 888-467-6278 and one of our awesome customer service folks will be sure to help you get what you're looking for!
About the Designer
Marcel Breuer
A champion of the modern movement and protégé of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer is equally celebrated for his achievements in architecture and furniture. Breuer was a student and subsequently a master carpenter at the Bauhaus in the early 1920s. His entire body of work, both architecture and furniture, embodies the driving Bauhaus objective to reconcile art and industry. While at the Bauhaus, Breuer revolutionized the modern interior with his tubular-steel furniture collection — inspired by bicycle construction and fabricated using the techniques of local plumbers. His first designs, including the Wassily, remain among the most identifiable icons of the modern furniture movement.
About the Manufacturer
Hourglass, named for its distinctive weave, is a classic foundational fabric with a dry, wool-like hand. It features a stain repellent finish and can be cleaned using water-based cleaning products or mild, water-free solvents.
Summit is a soft-to-the-touch chenille upholstery. It features a stain repellent finish and can be cleaned using water-based cleaning products.
Ultrasuede is the premier microfiber in the marketplace. The soft, plush feel and luxurious appeal are matched with extreme durability, stain resistance, breathability, and easy cleanability. It is the first of its kind to use partially plant-based polyester. Cleanable with water-based cleaning products or mild, water-free dry cleaning solvents.
