| The history of furniture has, up until the 20th | | | | has moved towards satisfying the large market for |
| century, been dominated by manufacturers using | | | | banquet furniture for hotel and restaurant use for |
| timber to produce their products. Towards the end | | | | weddings and other celebrations or for situations |
| of the 19th century some companies experimented | | | | where large numbers of chairs are needed but where |
| with wood bending techniques in a bid to reduce the | | | | cost is an issue. An example of this being sporting |
| cost of labour intensive manufacturing and to be able | | | | and social clubs. These chairs are produced in steel or |
| to make chairs and tables that were attractive, | | | | extruded aluminium tube, the latter having the benefit |
| strong and cheap enough to sell in big quantity to the | | | | of being available in a variety of extruded tube |
| rising numbers of people whose wealth was | | | | designs. These chairs can be upholstered in any fabric |
| increasing following the development of the Industrial | | | | which when combined with different frame colours |
| Revolution. These Bentwood stacking chairs first | | | | again gives an almost limitless choice to the user. The |
| developed by Michael Thonet (1796-1871) | | | | European market for these chairs was up until the |
| revolutionised chair production and became extremely | | | | 1980's mostly satisfied by UK manufacturers. This |
| popular, especially for commercial use, furnishing | | | | gradually changed following the rise of China as an |
| hotels and restaurants all throughout Europe. | | | | economic power following the economic reforms |
| With technical advances made in steel production in | | | | introduced by the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in |
| the early part of the 20th Century, tubular steel and | | | | the 1980's. Cheap steel was soon being produced in |
| aluminium became cheaper and cheaper and in 1925 | | | | huge quantity, far more than the home market could |
| Marcel Breuer designed the Wassily chair and later in | | | | absorb and to avoid being accused of dumping their |
| 1926 one of the the first commercially available | | | | excess production at below cost Chinese |
| tubular steel cantilever chairs (designated chair B33) | | | | manufacturers looked for products to make with the |
| was designed by Mart Stam and put into production | | | | glut of this raw material. An obvious direction was in |
| in 1927. By using tube bending machinery, | | | | the production of tubular furniture and by the 1990's |
| manufacturers could see that new designs of chairs | | | | factories making tube steel chairs and tables became |
| could be produced relatively easily and great | | | | abundant in China. |
| uniformity could be achieved in any quantity. The | | | | Importers in the UK were quick to see this |
| designers could produce chairs and tables that were | | | | opportunity. The Chinese manufacturers were happy |
| stronger and cheaper than wooden models and could | | | | to take in designs from these importers and happy |
| also design other really convenient features into the | | | | to produce them in relatively short runs at prices that |
| chairs, chief among these being the ability to stack. | | | | the European and UK manufacturers could not meet, |
| The space saving benefits of stacking furniture had | | | | gradually overwhelming these local producers. Now |
| already been investigated by Alvar Aalto in his | | | | the majority of stacking chairs are made by far |
| bentwood stool model 60 which first went into | | | | eastern factories although recently strains have been |
| production in 1932 and has remained popular ever | | | | felt by these manufacturers. Since being admitted as |
| since. One of the first metal stacking chairs was Hans | | | | a full member to the World Trade Organisation in |
| Coray's 1938 'Landi' chair, produced in aluminium to | | | | 2001, it came under pressure from the U.S. and the |
| make it light and easy to move. | | | | International Monetary Fund to free the exchange |
| The benefits of stacking chairs became really | | | | rate of the Chinese currency, the Yuan RMB which |
| appreciated in the after the Second World War. The | | | | was previously pegged by the Chinese government |
| Danis architect and designer Arne Jacobsen designed | | | | at a fixed rate against the US dollar. |
| the series 7 model 3017 in 1955 and in the 1960's | | | | Since the RMB has been free to find it's own level, |
| Robin Day created the very influential Polyprop | | | | the currency has become stronger and stronger, so |
| stacking chair. The Polyprop stacking chair cleverly | | | | Chinese Companies exporting to the US and Europe |
| used the new technology of injection moulded | | | | have seen real value of the foreign currency |
| plastics on a tubular steel frame. The polypropylene | | | | payments they receive getting ever lower. To give |
| plastic chair shells have a very high initial cost because | | | | an example, in September 2006 1 USD would buy |
| the mould for the seat is complicated to make but | | | | nearly 8 Chinese RMB but now in September 2008 |
| once made the seats can be produced very cheaply | | | | will only buy 6.80 RMB. The value of 1 GBP in sept |
| in large quantity in any colour and the tubular steel | | | | 2006 was 15.15 but now in Sept 2008 has fallen to |
| bases for the chairs can be painted to match or | | | | 12.30RMB. This rapid change combined with an equally |
| contrast with the plastic colour or can be chrome | | | | rapid rise in raw material prices worldwide has forced |
| plated allowing a great variety of colour combinations | | | | Chinese manufacturers to raise prices. What the |
| to suit any interior design. | | | | future holds is uncertain. |
| The Design of Stacking chairs at the present time | | | | |