Design duo Barber and Osgerby's minimal and "visually calm" Pacific chair is their first office seating for Vitra.

Launched at the Orgatec 2016 trade fair in Cologne, the Pacific chair conceals its mechanical parts behind an extra-long rectangular backrest, which extends below the base of the seat.

Its linear form is echoed in the chair's short, straight armrests.

"To us the contemporary work chair has become a contraption – a collection of controls and levers," said Edward Barber.

"Rethinking how to minimise the visual impact of these elements has been at the centre of our design. Our chair is simple to use and visually calm."

The duo recently launched a geometric tile collection for Mutina and a minimal table based on Japanese joinery.

The Pacific chair comes in several different sizes and colours, and with a matt black or reflective frame. The height of the back can be adjusted, and the furniture adjusts automatically to each sitter.

"To optimise comfort, we joined with Vitra in developing a new mechanism that responds to the individual weight of the sitter," added Jay Osgerby. "Further lumbar adjustment is provided from a seated position by the vertical movement of the backrest."

Vitra launched the Pacific chair at trade fair Orgatec, which was held in Cologne from 25 to 29 October 2016.

Vitra put on a massive exhibition of work furniture concepts for the event, at which it also unveiled office tables created in partnership with the Bouroullec brothers. The Bouroullecs hope their Cyl furniture will introduce a more domestic atmosphere to the workplace.

Elsewhere in the world of office furniture, Herman Miller has updated its own iconic Aeron chair, fine-tuning it to be more responsive to different body types.

The brand has also designed a range of seating tailored towards fidgeting workers.