Tom Vac Chair by Ron Arad

Israeli-born industrial designer, artist, and architect Ron Arad is praised as one of the most influential designers of his generation. His innovative experimentation with materials such as steel, aluminium and plastic, combined with his radical interpretation of form and structure has changed the landscape of design.

Arad’s multi-disciplinary talents have allowed him to move fluidly between the worlds of industrial design and architecture, his designs always incorporating an element of fine art. Taking inspiration from the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, his works invariably begin with his pencil and result in ambitious artistic pieces that reflect his interest in pushing the limits of the relationship between form and material. 

This fusion of art and design is brought to life in Arad’s exceptional furniture design, particularly the iconic Tom Vac chair. Originally designed for a one-off sculpture for Milan Design Week in 1997, the “Totem” installation was comprised of 100 specially designed chairs, stacked on top of each other in a square in Milan. Arad admits the design and installation was no more than a perfect excuse to explore and satisfy his fascination with vacuum-formed aluminium, however Swiss furniture manufacturers, Vitra, saw the versatility and appeal of the design and put the chair into production. It has become one of Arad’s most successful commercial products to date.

The Tom Vac chair is elegant and versatile, a perfect example of function and aesthetics working harmoniously together. The corrugated plastic shell seat creates waves of form that are not purely for aesthetic purposes but give strength and flexibility to the shell, whilst providing support and comfort to the seated individual. The seat is upheld by legs made from tubular steel, and the hole in the base of the shell allows chairs to be stacked, making them popular for spaces that require large numbers of people.

Available in white, the Tom Vac chair is an iconic and inviting chair that is at home in any office, home, restaurant, retail or commercial space, both indoors and outdoors.