Pair of Lounge Chairs by Miroslav Navrátil for Český Nábytek, 1959

A distinctive pair of lounge chairs designed by Miroslav Navrátil for Český Nábytek in former Czechoslovakia, circa 1959.
 
The model, commonly referred to as the TV lounge chair, was developed in connection with the XII Triennale di Milano, held in 1960. Navrátil received a Jury Prize at the Milan Triennale for his TV Armchair, placing the design within an important period of post-war Czechoslovak furniture experimentation.
 
The design is characterised by its strongly curved fiberglass shell, forming a continuous seat and backrest with pronounced upturned sides. The shell is supported by a light wooden base with four tapered legs, connected by slender crossed metal braces.
Both chairs have been professionally reupholstered in a textured green-blue fabric, closely following the curved profile of the original shells.
 
The original fiberglass remains exposed at the rear. Interestingly, the two chairs retain different original shell colours, one grey and the other yellow, providing a clear view of the material and construction of the design.
 
The combination of molded fiberglass, traditional wooden legs and minimal metal bracing reflects Navrátil's experimental approach to seating design during the late 1950s.
 
Dxhxl: 82x80x62 cm
Seat height: 34 cm