Helmut Bätzner ‘BA1171’ chair for Bofinger Furniture set/4

The chair was developed in 1964 and 1965 in connection with the construction work for the State Theatre in Karlsruhe for which Bätzner’s architecture office was responsible. As an architect and because of the novelty of the suggested material, Bätzner was seeking advice from the renowned German furniture maker Rudolf Baresel-Bofinger (Bofinger AG) who enthusiastically supported the project. On 14th of January 1966, Baresel-Bofinger signed a license agreement with Bätzner and commissioned the production of the double-shell heated iron ten-ton press.

The relationship between the press mould and the chair is evident in the accentuated outlines of the chair. The fiberglass resin appears as if wrapped around the mould. The chair is characterised by wide overhangs.
The legs are a v-shape tapering up from the shorter sides of a triangular base. This shape gives the legs exceptional strength. The back two legs extend upwards to form a back support for a simple, slightly indented, rectangular back. The tapered legs, narrow at the base, reach the widest point at the height of the seat, the back support then narrows again towards the highest point of the chair. The front legs continue smoothly into the seat.
The edges of the chair are very distinctive and reveal the thickness of the chair. From the front the chair, the edges of the legs are directed outwards, whereas the edges that join the four legs curve inwards. From the back, a single, sharp edge is the main focus which is slightly turned outwards, because of the tapered back support. Looking at the chair from behind reveals the curved base of seat and back. The back appears as if it has been stretched out from seat and legs.

The chair was produced in eight colours, including yellow, black, red and blue, and is glossy in appearance.