The Book Chair is a design by illustrator/artist Saskia Wigbold. It was created as an illustration for a book cover, "Letteren aan de Maas" ("Literature on the Meuse", published by Beta Imaginations, 2003). An idea to develop a scale model of a university chair, for the promotion of the (Makeshift) Faculty of Literary Studies of Rotterdam was done in collaboration with graphic designer Odette Koldewey. When the public asked whether the Chair on the cover was for sale, the plan to build a full-scale model was born.
The texts used on the Book Chair show a relationship to the body parts that make use of a chair — like the back, arms, and bottom — as well as the numerous expressions that relate to sitting on a chair.
The Book Chair was purchased by, amongst others, the Public Library of Amsterdam , the Public Library of Rotterdam and the Frog Museum in The Hague.
The Book Chair is 74 cm wide, 50 cm deep and 86 cm high. The Book Chair is totally hand-made. At the technical realization, the original idea has been taken in consideration as much as possible. The basic form of the chair is an opened book. The seat, back and right-hand arm are built up from hundreds of paper sheets.
Books can be found in virtually every culture. Therefore a multi-colored motif on the arms and legs of the chair was chosen.
The Book Chair is also available in blank wooden chair arms and legs.
The cover of the Book Chair can be renewed multiple times by taking off the top page, since the sheets of the upper layer are printed with the same text. An additional set of pages is supplied with the same printing, making it possible to replace pages several times. The paper has been chosen for its endurable quality. On request the Book Chair can also be furnished with blank wooden legs.
The Book Chair was produced in collaboration with:
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