Utrecht Armchair

One of the symbols of Neoplasticism, the Utrecht armchair by Gerrit Rietveld is one of the most interesting pieces of the Dutch master, and is produced by Cassina for the I Maestri series.

Designed in 1935 for Mets & Co, a renowned department store in Amsterdam, the Utrecht armchair combines design and comfort and remains a contemporary piece more than 70 years after its creation, thanks to its volumes, and the contrast of angular shapes with the soft lines of the seat.

Its design, based on the Neoplastic principles of Rietveld and De Stijl, merges various volumes to form an entirely original seating structure.

Its defining feature is the orthogonal composition, where the seat and backrest meet at the ground to form the base, while the armrests, with the same geometric nature, serve as the front support. In contrast to the strict lines of the armrests, the seat has soft and curved lines.

The structure of the Utrecht armchair is made of tubular steel, which forms the supporting frame for the seat and backrest. Elastic belts support the padding, made of polyurethane foam or polyester wadding. The first edition was upholstered in dark brown canvas and finished with a clearly visible zigzag stitch.

In the post-war period, Mets & Co. reintroduced the chair, this time using felt upholstery with the same distinctive white zigzag stitching.

In 1988, one hundred years after Rietveld’s birth, Cassina began producing the chair and other Rietveld furniture pieces again for the “i Maestri” series.