The Emeco 1006 chair was commissioned in the 1940s by the United States Navy, thus giving rise to its common name, the Emeco Navy chair. It is a brilliant Aluminum design that surpassed the Navy’s specifications for use on warships and survives to this day as an inspired design.
Gently tapered legs curve slightly inward and upward giving the chair a solid base capable of sitting solid though rough seas and even torpedo attacks. The legs are secured together with four tubular Aluminum supports which create a quasi shelf on underneath the seat-pan, suitable for the temporary stowage of sensitive military documents. Seamlessly, the legs join the molded seat as if they grew inexplicably from the posterior shaped platform; welds are apparent nowhere but on the back of the slats, a detail that is unique to the oft copied 1006. The chair is at one time incredibly durable yet inviting, thanks in large part to the unassuming nature of the rounded top and splayed legs which seem eager to support the user’s weight. One sits comfortably against the rear of the chair, urged to recline slightly and allow the curve of the back to mold itself along the spine, providing a base from which work and leisure are equally attainable. A seldom recognized feature is an open frame on the top of the chair that allows it to be easily moved from place to place or swung dramatically around in an interrogation room at NCIS.
Do not be surprised to notice this chair in popular culture. After designers and architects again took notice of it in the 1990s, it surged back into the cultural spectrum as a throwback to the glory days of military design and a lasting specimen of form following function. That is what makes this chair relevant today - a subtlety of utilitarian function in a piece that is somehow both everything the Navy asked of it and just what designers need for modern spaces filled with concrete and steel. The 1006’s bright body stands out in a space as a place to sit but also as a movable but permanent incorporation of authority gained through the cold metal and warm structure. It is a paradox. An Aluminum chair should not be the first choice of seating if one has the option, yet the Navy Chair flaunts sit-ability before a panel of eager eyed judges who would jump at the opportunity to criticize its simplicity and robustness as yet another over-engineered piece built to meet the demands of a client interested in only lifespan. True many original chairs exist, uncorroded, today, but the simple beauty of the 1006 is even more enduring.
Recently, Coca-Cola, Design Within Reach, and Emeco have teamed up to produce the 111 Navy chair. It is built with the same lines as the 1006 but created out of recycles pop bottles. It maintains the same standards as the original, but helps keep plastic out of landfills. Available in a variety of colors, it is a lovely modern addition to the Emeco Navy Chair family.
Both the 1006 and the 111 can be purchased at Design Within Reach: http://www.dwr.com/
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