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    Womb™ Chair

    Eero Saarinen  1948

    How To Purchase

    Eero Saarinen designed the groundbreaking Womb Chair at Florence Knoll’s request for “a chair that was like a basket full of pillows…something I could really curl up in.” The fiberglass design supported multiple sitting postures and provided a comforting sense of security — hence the name.

    The Womb Chair at 75 Years

    The Womb Chair was released in 1948 as a liberating counterpoint to the rigid Victorian-style chairs available at the time. Said Florence Knoll, “I told Eero I wanted a chair I could sit in sideways or any other way I want.” The resulting design and its enveloping comfort were immediately popular and have remained so for 75 years.
    Womb 75th Anniversary

    Made to last for generations

    Skilled craftspeople make every Womb Chair by hand, start to finish—from molding the shell to carefully hand-sewing the customer’s selected upholstery.
    History of the Saarinen Womb Chair

    Product story

    After winning the Museum of Modern Art Organic Design Competition with Charles Eames for their experiments with bent plywood in 1941, Eero Saarinen was eager to continue exploring the possibilities of a chair that achieved comfort through the shape of its shell, not the depth of its cushioning. Initially, he began the investigation with designs for smaller fiberglass task chairs, but changed direction when Florence Knoll approached him and asked, “Why not take the bull by the horns and do the big one first? I want a chair that is like a basket full of pillows…something I can curl up in.” While that’s not exactly where Saarinen ended up, the suggestion inspired one of the most iconic, and comfortable, chairs of the modern furniture movement.

    Like many of Saarinen’s furniture designs, the Womb Chair required production techniques and materials still in the infancy of their existence. Saarinen and Florence Knoll found a boat builder in New Jersey who was experimenting with fiberglass and resin to help develop manufacturing methods for the new chair. Florence Knoll: “He was very skeptical. We just begged him. I guess we were so young and so enthusiastic he finally gave in and worked with us. We had lots of problems and failures until they finally got a chair that would work.”

    Knoll Designer Eero Saarinen

    Eero Saarinen

    Born to world famous architect and Cranbrook Academy of Art Director Eliel Saarinen and textile artist Loja Saarinen, Eero Saarinen was surrounded by design his whole life. After meeting Florence Knoll at Cranbrook, Saarinen went on to design many of Knoll's most recognizable pieces, including the Tulip collection, the Womb chair, and the 70 Series of seating. In addition to these achievements, Saarinen became a leader of the second-generation modernists. 

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    Additional Info

    Construction and Details
    • Available in wide range of KnollTextiles and Spinneybeck® leathers
    • Seat shell is foam-covered molded fiberglass
    • Steel legs are seamless tubular steel with polished chrome plating, polished 18k gold plating or black paint
    Sustainable Design
    • Learn more about Womb™ Chair product certifications and materials at Ecomedes.

    Dimensions

    •   w d h seat h arm h
      70L Womb Chair 40" 34" 35.5" 16" 20.5"

    •   w d h seat h arm h
      70LM Medium Womb Chair 35" 31" 31.25" 15" 18"

    Leg Finish

    Chrome, Polished

    Chrome, Polished
    Black

    Black

    Gold, 18k Plated

    Gold, 18k Plated

    Environment

    Whitesweep

    Detail

    Configure Womb™ Chair

    The configurator below is for reference purposes only. All options, finishes and sizes may not be represented.
    For the complete scope, please refer to the KnollStudio price list.


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    General Info

    Document

    Womb Chair and Ottoman Product Sheet
    Document

    Womb Brochure
    Document

    Saarinen Collection
    Document

    KnollStudio Price List Vol 1

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