Chair from the Mánes Exhibition Hall

Product detailed description

Tubular chair designed by Ladislav Vrátník in the 1970s for the legendary Mánes Exhibition Hall next to the Vltava River in Prague. This functionalist building was constructed in 1930 on the site of the former Šítkovské Mills, based on a design by Otakar Novotný, and for many years served as the headquarters of the Mánes Association of Fine Artists. To this day, it is considered an architectural gem and a symbol of a prestigious exhibition space.

Ladislav Vrátník was a Czech academic architect who focused on interior and furniture design, as well as industrial design. He designed the furnishings for the Spanish Hall and the interiors of the south wing of Prague Castle, Omnipol Prague, and the prelature in Zbraslav. His work at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague was significant; there he taught interior and furniture design and was appointed professor in 1990.

The chair features a frame made of bent chrome-plated steel tubing; the seat and backrest have a plywood base, are padded, and covered in black leather. The frame narrows at the bottom. It is in good original condition. The leather is slightly scratched and the chrome plating is scuffed in places, as shown in the photographs.