Piet Hein, stools

PIET HEIN (Denmark, 1905-1996).
Three barchairs, design 1968.
Tensioned chrome-plated steel legs and original black leather seat.
Chairs with marks and signs of use.
Made by Fritz Hansen.
Measurements: seat height 78 cm, base diameter 35 cm.

These barchairs, with a functional and stylized appearance, stand on circular feet. The structure of the shaft, made up of several tubular rods organized around the repetition of concave shapes, is based on them. This geometric design not only fulfills a structural function, but also adds lightness to the whole.

Piet Hein was a multidisciplinary figure who transcended the boundaries between science, art and design. He excelled as an engineer, mathematician, writer, designer and inventor. He is especially known for his gruks (or grooks in English), short philosophical poems or aphorisms loaded with irony, conciseness and a precise use of language. He invented the Soma Cube, a popular dissection puzzle, and the abstract game Polygon (later known as Hex). He collaborated with physicist Hendrik Casimir and was friends with mathematician Norbert Wiener and Albert Einstein. Although the superellipse was created by the French mathematician Gabriel Lamé, Hein popularized its use in design and architecture, incorporating it in collaborations with Swedish architect David Helldén (for example, in Stockholm's Sergel Square) and with furniture designer Bruno Mathsson.