Milan 2011: industrial designer Konstantin Grcic launched this armchair inspired by windsurfing and paragliding equipment for design brand Vitra at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan.

Called Waver, the design features a fabric seat hooked over the tubular backrest and suspended from the armrests by two straps.

The chair swivels on a four-legged base and comes with cushions for the head and backrest.

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The information below is from Vitra:

Waver Konstantin Grcic, 2011

The Waver armchair is the first collaborative project between Vitra and Konstantin Grcic. Waver embodies a new aesthetic, incorporating materials and construction principles from the outdoor sports that inspired the design.

The idea behind Waver was to deliberately use no conventional armchair typology. Outdoor sports such as windsurfing and paragliding provided inspiration – the commonalities with the lightweight yet high-performance equipment used in such sports are abundantly evident in Waver.

Waver offers a high level of sitting comfort combined with a simple technical construction. Like a paraglider in a trapeze, the user floats in a fabric-spanned seat, which is suspended inside the tubular steel frame by two belts and hung over the top.

Although the back is made of only one layer of fabric, it offers a comfortable contour thanks to its precise cut, at once supporting the body and allowing for a wide range of motion. The tubular steel frame is shaped to offer the flexibility of a cantilever chair, which when combined with a seat and neck cushion provide a level of comfort previously attainable only with conventional upholstered furnishings.

As a swivel chair with a four-star base, Waver interprets a classic type of furniture with sweeping dimensions and unconventional lightness. The energetic colourfulness of the fabrics and the clearly emphasised connecting and functional elements give Waver its sporty look and feel. Its waterproof materials make Waver ideal for use as a garden or patio chair or as an informal and economical indoor seating option.