Ravioli Chair. Designed by Greg Lynne. Manufactured by Vitra.

Swiss manufacturer Vitra has some lofty ambitions. Part of their core philosophy is that interior design affects people’s motivation, performance, and health; that how we outfit our interior spaces influences how well we function. In order to do their part to create optimally functioning human beings, then, they aim for “furnishing systems that stimulate, inspire, and motivate, while also offering the body comfort, safety, and support.”

In the late 1950s, when they joined forces with American manufacturer Herman Miller to become the sole European producer and distributor of furniture designed by the famed duo of Charles and Ray Eames (co-authors of the notorious Eames Chair), the Vitra name became synonymous with versatile elegance in a modern palette. Vitra furnishings are sleek but not minimalist, innovative yet inviting - they reliably toe the line between high-concept aesthetic and welcome functionality.

The Ravioli Chair is a perfect example. Both artistic set piece and comfy lounger, the chair is visually startling yet consummately inviting. The creation of American designer Greg Lynne, the Ravioli is the product of a finely-tuned computer simulation that morphs a flat square into three dimensions - with the caveat that the new shape have a seat, armrests,and a backrest. But who would have thought that the computer (and Lynne) would have come up with this? The chair is enticing to say the least; it looks as if it were extruded from Willy Wonka’s gum drop factory; as if the aforementioned variety of Italian comestible were pulled on and prodded, suffused with the essence of Hollywood lips, then stuffed to the hilt with polyurethane foam. One can fairly picture the roster of starlets who might ably grace its curves. Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell come to mind: it’s sexy, baby! And, it’s available in three colors—or one could just as easily say flavors, as in Wild Cherry, Tangy Blueberry, or Luscious Grape: a tasty chair to say the least.

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