Fluid, expressive, two-toned: Vitra's Panton Chair Duo celebrates Verner Panton's vibrant palette

The story of the Panton Chair, an icon of modern furniture, began in 1959 when forward-thinking Danish designer Verner Panton conceived a plastic cantilever chair. The idea was daring and innovative, engaging Panton and the Swiss company Vitra in years of research, testing and prototyping until it reached its final design in 1967 and was produced in a pilot series of 150. (© Verner Panton Design AG)

The first all-plastic chair in the history of design with a cantilevered, colorful and sculptural look, it was produced from the following year using an innovative technique that allowed large numbers to be fabricated industrially. Nevertheless, Verner Panton and Vitra are still not satisfied with the result: they try numerous materials, techniques and modify the design several times until, tired of the product's quality defects, they stop production in 1979.

This did not change the interest in the Panton Chair, so that in the 1990s, driven by technological progress, Vitra restarted its production by designing a new polypropylene version with Panton.

Thirty years after the first launch, the plastic chair finally became an accessible and appealing industrial product. Awarded numerous honors and displayed in museum collections around the world, the celebrated chair with its expressive, fluid and unforgettable form is an undisputed icon of 20th-century design.

In 2022, the leading Swiss furniture company launches Panton Chair Duo, a special two-tone limited edition model, paying homage to its inventor Verner Panton.

Contrasting shades color the front and back of the chair, blended in five striking combinations that recall the color arrangements of Fantasy Landscape, created by Verner Panton in 1970 for the Visiona 2 furniture fair in Cologne. The glossy lacquer finish enhances the brilliance of the colors, highlighting the profile of the seat. (© Verner Panton Design AG)