THONET 214 K dining chair

The famous coffee house chair stands as an icon and bears the title of the world’s most successful mass-produced product to date, marking the beginning of modern furniture history. Its foundation lies in a groundbreaking technique – solid wood bending – pioneered and perfected by Michael Thonet in the 1850s, heralding the advent of serial furniture production. An ingenious distribution model further distinguished this chair: 36 disassembled chairs could be packed into a one-cubic-meter box, shipped worldwide and assembled on site. With its clear, minimalist aesthetic, this classic has graced a variety of settings for over 150 years.

In terms of sustainability, the wood for the 214 is responsibly sourced from managed forests. Its exceptional quality and timeless aesthetics contribute to its remarkable durability, allowing for easy repairs at any time. These qualities impressed the jury of the German Sustainability Award, leading to the recognition of this sustainable model, which has withstood more than 160 years of changing fashions and trends, as the winner in the Design category for 2021.