Eero Aarnio: Creator of the Bubble Chair


Known for his simple yet unconventional designs for chairs and other furnishings for the home, Eero Aarnio is considered to be one of the most well-known and highly respected furniture designers of his day. Born in 1932 at Helsinki, Finland, Aarnio began his career by studying at the Institute of Industrial Arts of Helsinki. Then in 1962, he started his own office and in the following year he exhibited his first work, the Ball Chair, to the public. After the design’s initial success, Aarnio followed it with other chair designs, including the Tomato and Bubble Chair, which also had a positive reception among critics. He has also garnered praise for his table designs, such as the Screw table, and currently at work making designs for toys and children’s furniture.

Over the years Eero Aarnio has made numerous furniture projects, but probably none best explains his unique style than the Bubble Chair. Created in 1968, the Bubble Chair is a large spherical chair suspended to the ceiling via a thick chrome-plated metal tube. As its name implies, the Bubble Chair is looks like a floating bubble, an effect created by the chair being mainly comprised of clear acrylic and being supported by the ceiling instead of the floor. In addition, a steel ring coated with chrome further supports the sphere structure, and the hollow inside it is filled with leather or synthetic upholstery.

Aside from having a distinct bubble shape, the Bubble Chair also had the ability to create a unique acoustic atmosphere inside its dome. The dome basically swallows sound waves vibrating inside it, giving the occupant the effect of silence and calm. Also, Bubble chairs are also known to be considerably lightweight and durable due to its acrylic construction, although most designs manufactured today are made of stronger fiberglass material.

During an interview, Aarnio stated that the inspiration for the Bubble Chair was his earlier work, the Ball Chair. After the design’s commercial success in the 1960’s, Aarnio conceptualized the Ball Chair to feature interior lighting, which later led to a complete redesign that included a transparent ball that radiates light everywhere. In order to achieve this concept, Aarnio had a large sphere fabricated in acrylic, as during that time it was the only material available which was both transparent and durable. After making the necessary adjustments, Aarnio installed the steel ring and the steel tube attachment. Upholstery was then added, and the Bubble Chair was born.