konstantin grcic: pro school chair for flötotto

‘pro’ by konstantin grcic for flötotto photo by oliviero toscani

designed to support its user’s freedom of movement by allowing various sitting positions, the ‘pro chair’ is the result of a collaboration between konstantin grcic and german furniture manufacturer flötotto on show at imm cologne 2012.

originally developed for use within educational environments, the design of the S-shaped form draws from recent studies into the area of active sitting in schools. the seat shell is made from 100% polypropylene which can be attached to four different bases: a C-frame made of tubular steel (for use in schools); four-legged frames in tubular steel or wood; sled base frame in tubular steel; and a height-adjustable 5-star swivel base frame with castors. its versatility and lightweight appearance makes it well suited for use in both commercial and private interiors. ‘pro’ is available in six colors: aqua blue, black, coral red, granite grey, graphite, kiwi green and snow white. it is also comes in a school furniture series, currently available in three sizes catering to the needs of growing youth: size 4 (primary school); size 5 and 6 (according to different ages from middle school through to high school students) accompanied in matching tables of the same sizes for educational use. further sizes will be offered in the future.

the chair’s standard S-shape shell can be paired with four different frames

‘I had more or less blocked out any of my memories about school, but a call from flötotto to design a new school chair brought it all back into my life. when we started to work on the chair we were trying to talk to (nearly) everyone related  to our project: the kids of course, the teachers, the school’s  janitor, the people in charge of specifying / buying school furniture, even insurance companies. we wanted to find out as much as possible about the different criteria for a school chair as well as understanding the mechanics of its industry and market.     school furniture is a very national affair. each country has not only its own norms/regulations, but also its own industry producing the school  furniture. in germany there are 3-4 main players splitting the cake of the market.  the situtation is not at all bad for these companies which is where the problem lies. the lack of competitions has been hindering industry to push for  innovation and thus catching up with the conclusions drawn from recent studies about the work place school.   currently, health promotion in schools is growing ever more important. inclusion of ergonomic seating and working conditions have been the centre of public debate. the german federal ministry for family  affairs, senior citizens, women and youth has commissioned a thorough study called the ‘work place school’ which states that dynamic sitting is the prime condition for a balanced physical, spiritual and emotional well-being which is the premise for healthy learning. while  traditional furniture encourages children to sit up straight and  still, dynamic sitting allows kids to frequently change posture, even  getting up from their chair during class.’ – konstantin grcic

‘pro’ chairs stacked