Butterfly chair
Encyclopedia
A butterfly chair, also known as a BKF chair, is a style of chair featuring a folding frame and a large cloth sling hung from the frames highest points. This design is popular for portable recreational seating.
, Argentina. His partners, Antonio Bonet and Juan Kurchan, were also in the Austral Grup, so the chair was named "BKF" after them.
The BKF chair is a modern update to a design known as the Tripolina
chair, a portable chair introduced in the early 20th century.
Jorge Ferrari Hardoy along with Antonio Bonet and Juan Kurchan developed the BKF in 1938 for an apartment building they designed in Buenos Aires.
On July 24, 1940, the chair was shown at the 3rd Salon de Artistas Decoradores exhibition where it was discovered by the Museum of Modern Art. At the request of MoMA design director Edgar Kaufmann Jr., Hardoy sent 3 pre-production chairs to New York. One is in the MoMA collection and one is at the Frank Lloyd Wright house Fallingwater, but no one knows where the third chair went.
Naming the BKF as one of the "best efforts of modern chair design," Kaufmann accurately predicted that it would become extremely popular here. Likewise, Hans Knoll
recognized its commercial potential and added it to the Knoll
line in 1947.
History
The BKF chair was designed by the Argentinian architect Jorge Ferrari Hardoy in 1938 while working for the Austral Group, in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina. His partners, Antonio Bonet and Juan Kurchan, were also in the Austral Grup, so the chair was named "BKF" after them.
Origin
Tripolina
The Tripolina is a folding chair made out of wood, metal and cloth.The tripolina chair was introduced to the public at the International Fair of St. Louis in the 1904 by Joseph Fendy, who had patented the design in 1877. The original creator of the chair remains anonymous...
chair, a portable chair introduced in the early 20th century.
Jorge Ferrari Hardoy along with Antonio Bonet and Juan Kurchan developed the BKF in 1938 for an apartment building they designed in Buenos Aires.
On July 24, 1940, the chair was shown at the 3rd Salon de Artistas Decoradores exhibition where it was discovered by the Museum of Modern Art. At the request of MoMA design director Edgar Kaufmann Jr., Hardoy sent 3 pre-production chairs to New York. One is in the MoMA collection and one is at the Frank Lloyd Wright house Fallingwater, but no one knows where the third chair went.
Naming the BKF as one of the "best efforts of modern chair design," Kaufmann accurately predicted that it would become extremely popular here. Likewise, Hans Knoll
Hans Knoll
Hans G. Knoll was a German American who, together with his wife, Florence Knoll, founded Knoll, the well known design company and furniture manufacturer.-Biography:...
recognized its commercial potential and added it to the Knoll
Knoll (company)
Knoll is a design firm that produces office systems, seating, files and storage, tables and desks, textiles , and accessories for office and for the home. The company also manufactures furniture for the home by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Harry Bertoia, Florence Knoll , Frank Gehry, Maya Lin and...
line in 1947.