The history of hardly any other piece of furniture has been so frequently and so intensively discussed as has that of the chair. Yet the last chapter has still not been written, and instead each year new aspects arise: new production methods, technological features and combinations of materials show the different faces of the typology. Although the functional sides to the seating hardly change in essence – sitting remains an artificial position for the body that can assume more or less comfortable postures.
Group Discussion Chair 2.0
|
"If the designer wants to create a chair, narrowly defined as supporting the classic right-angle seated posture, he or she will be forever chasing the problem of instability throughout the body.
Designers notice the sliding-forward problem, so they can't the seat up. This creates a problem in the hip joint so they compensate by opening the angle of the chair back.
But this creates problems in the neck which people solve by drawing their heads forward and collapsing their chests. To look up at others with the neck so drawn forward rotates the head back and down, interfering with the primary control described earlier.
In addition, chair sitters absorb some of the problem in their ribcage."
~ Galen Cranz, U.C. Berkley Professor of Architecture, 1999.
Designers notice the sliding-forward problem, so they can't the seat up. This creates a problem in the hip joint so they compensate by opening the angle of the chair back.
But this creates problems in the neck which people solve by drawing their heads forward and collapsing their chests. To look up at others with the neck so drawn forward rotates the head back and down, interfering with the primary control described earlier.
In addition, chair sitters absorb some of the problem in their ribcage."
~ Galen Cranz, U.C. Berkley Professor of Architecture, 1999.