Vitra Tip Ton RE Tipton

In 2008, the Royal Society of Arts Academy was established in Tipton by a public institution in the UK that promotes arts, manufacturing and commerce. Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, a design duo who had started a design studio together in the UK, were asked to design furniture for the school. In the process of considering and pursuing what kind of furniture would be appropriate for a school setting, they realized that the classroom chairs of the time were far removed from the chairs that would be needed in 21st century schools.

Since Robin Day designed the Polyprops Chair for use in schools in 1963, chairs for study have not evolved beyond the point of reducing the cost. These chairs were designed to suit the learning method of students sitting facing forward, simply listening to lectures quietly, so they were very two-dimensional designs.

Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby decided that this situation had to change. First, they made a list of the elements they thought were necessary for the chairs used by the next generation of students in current and future schools, from various perspectives such as ergonomics, economic rationality, and design. They thought that the chairs needed to be durable, lightweight, colorful, simple, stackable, mass-produced and recyclable, and above all, three-dimensional movement. This list was the first step in creating an innovative chair that would propose a completely new way of sitting. What was needed was this tilt. This movement. Having already had a connection with Vitra, they learned that Vitra was involved in a research project at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) on "moving sitting" in office chairs. The results of the research showed that a sitting position that tilts forward reduces strain on the body and promotes blood circulation, thereby improving concentration. Vitra's interests aligned with Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby's ideas, and they spent over two years working together to design and develop the innovative chair they envisioned.

The premise for developing and designing the chair was that it should be able to accommodate any sitting position, and that the seated person's body should be stable yet able to move freely. This was because they thought that the learning attitude would also be free and proactive. More than 30 prototypes were made due to repeated structural trial and error and the development of artificial resin materials. In the first 10 prototypes, a metal frame and shell were combined to improve functionality. Although it was a step forward in terms of the function of tilting forward according to the load while maintaining a stable posture and the stackable structure, in terms of design, it was far from what they were aiming for. After that, 20 prototypes were made over a long period of time, and they arrived at the current form, which is all made of plastic. By designing the tip of the chair to be inclined, it was possible to tilt forward 9 degrees in accordance with the body's weight shift, without having to install a complex mechanism like a general office chair. In addition, fine adjustments were made repeatedly to clear the quality and safety standards set by many countries so that it could be used in public schools and educational facilities.

Finally, the chair, named "Tip Ton", was completed. The name not only comes from the name of the town where the school that inspired the production is located, but is also an onomatopoeia that expresses the way the chair leans forward toward the tip when seated. The machine that manufactures Tipton weighs more than 20 tons, but the chair itself weighs only 4.5 kg, making it extremely light. Tipton is not only suitable for schools, but also for offices, living rooms, and any other space, and is versatile enough to be used for any purpose.

Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby

Edward Barber, born in Shrewsbury, England in 1969, and Jay Osgerby, born in Oxford in 1969, studied architecture and interior design together at the Royal College of Art in London. In 1996, they established their own studio under the name Barber & Osgerby, and their work spans a wide range of fields from industrial design, furniture design to architecture.

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Vitra elevates the quality of homes, offices and public spaces through the power of design. Founded in 1950 and since.

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In developing products that can be used for as long as possible , we avoid short-term trends and eliminate unnecessary elements. If the design, manufacturing method, and materials are not all in place, the product will not last.

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Cultural Activities <br>Vitra is also active in the cultural sector beyond its business activities. It invests a large portion of its profits in preserving cultural heritage in design and architecture, supporting various institutions around the world, such as the Eames Foundation, which preserves the Eames House in Pacific Palisades, California, the Alvar Aalto Foundation in Finland, and the Barragan Foundation in Switzerland.
Furthermore, the Vitra Campus, located on a vast site in Weil am Rhein on the Swiss-German border, is a one-of-a-kind experimental space for architecture and design, and a place where architecture, design and art are open to everyone on an equal footing. The ongoing development of the Vitra Campus is also a sign of our mutual, long-term relationship with the region of Weil am Rhein.

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