Vitra is reintroducing the distinctive colour Eames Turquoise with the launch of the Eames Fiberglass Side Chair turquoise. Restricted to 500 shells, this limited edition is available in two versions: DSR with a black wire base or DSW with legs in dark maple. The chairs are exclusively available from participating dealers.

Charles and Ray Eames had been working on the concept of a one-piece seat shell for a number of years before being able to present the Fiberglass Chairs in 1950. What have since established themselves among the most significant furniture designs of the twentieth century were the first chairs to have a seat and backrest in the form of a single shell. The Eameses conceived this ground-breaking design against the backdrop of a changing society: fibreglass had never previously been used for furniture, and the lightweight chairs with their organic shape and unfamiliar use of colour at the time injected a new dynamism into households – and soon after to offices and public spaces.

The colour palette of the Fiberglass Chairs was continually expanded over the years, with each hue undergoing a thorough development and testing phase before it was added to the range. One of these colours was Eames Turquoise, which was never a standard colour but reserved for orders exceeding 200 chairs. This fresh vibrant shade was therefore primarily used in libraries, auditoriums and other large public spaces, which explains why versions with bases suited to home settings are rarely to be found on the vintage market today.