Alfred Arribas, Greystoke Chair

ALFRED ARRIBAS (Barcelona, 1954).
“Greystoke” Chair, 1988.
Wood, metal, and upholstery.
In good overall condition, with some signs of wear. Reupholstered with original suede.
A chair produced in very limited quantities.
Measurements: 88 x 55 x 46 cm.

An extremely rare chair, the Greystoke model, designed in 1988 by architect and interior designer Alfredo Arribas. This piece was designed specifically for one of the most unique projects in Spanish design on the international stage: the “The Barna Crossing” leisure center in Fukuoka, Japan, a pioneering creative venture commissioned by the company Jasmac and Shi Yu Chen. The chair was created specifically for the complex’s restaurant, a spectacular space situated on three stacked cantilevered platforms. In that setting, chef Montse Guillén brought the concept of “crossing” to life by fusing Catalan and Japanese cuisine. Arribas carried this same philosophy of avant-garde fusion into the design of this chair, whose precise production was entrusted to Carlos Jané. The project is a time capsule that encapsulates the effervescence of Barcelona in the late 1980s. To bring it to life, Arribas assembled an exceptional multidisciplinary team, including designers such as Quim Larrea and Juli Capella for coordination, Josep Puig for industrial design, Alfonso Sostres for visual identity, Montse Guillén for gastronomy, Chu Uroz for costumes, Mingus B. Formentor for music, and other contributions from artists of the caliber of Javier Mariscal, Antoni Miralda, Francesca Llopis, Salvador Saura, and Ramón Torrente. Its lines achieve a masterful balance between functionality and a thoroughly transgressive aesthetic. Furthermore, the chair is in exceptional condition, a particularly noteworthy fact given its rarity and its connection to such an iconic project.

Alfred Arribas is an architect and designer. He studied at the Barcelona School of Architecture. He taught at this same school and at the Elisava School of Design from 1979 to 1990. In 1986, together with Miguel Morte, he founded the firm Alfredo Arribas Asociados, dedicated to architecture and interior design. In his projects, he has collaborated with designers such as Javier Mariscal and Eduard Samsó, among others. He served as president of ARQ-INFAD (1982–1983) and vice president of the Association for the Promotion of Arts and Design (1986–1989), from which he received a medal in 1990. His work has been featured in numerous architecture and design magazines and has been honored with several FAD awards. Notable among his works are the Velvet Bar in Barcelona and the Nagasaki Aquarium (Japan). Among his most representative designs are the Greystoke (1990) and Pila (1995) armchairs.