GamFratesi’s destillation of the archetypal chair form

GUBI PRESENTS THE VIOLIN CHAIR

In designing the Violin Chair, architects Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi set out to distil the archetypal form of a chair into its purest representation, without ever losing the sense of character for which they have become renowned. The result is a new typology for the GUBI Collection: an understated half-arm dining chair that epitomizes GamFratesi’s craftsmanship, creativity, and material understanding, with enough poetry to make the piece feel fresh, light and contemporary.

Jacob Gubi, Owner and Creative Director of GUBI says: “The Violin Chair references the timeless archetypal form of the dining chair but is constructed with a characterful contemporary expression. Combining functionality, lightness and comfort, its strong identity goes hand in hand with superior craftmanship.”

The name references the two parallel lines that that extend from the backrest to a horizontal bar below the seat, evoking two parallel strings on a violin, or even a tuning fork. It was these two lines, in the form of two pencil marks on the very earliest sketch, that provided the initial spark of inspiration for the design. The musicality of the name resonates with a chair that reflects a musical instrument in its geometry, symmetry and craftsmanship.

“We would like to see the Violin Chair deployed in groups – the chairs create a series of lines around the table, like musical notes on a score. By creating a strong silhouette and distinctive signature, the identity of the Violin Chair is preserved no matter the material, edition, or context,” explain Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi, Designers, GamFratesi.

Further details such as the gentle curves at either side of those elegant parallel bars imbue the chair with a distinctive sense of character. This refined detail gives the Violin Chair its decorative signature as well as providing functional support for the backrest. The craftsmanship involved in creating the chair’s branching form, without welding for mechanical fixtures, sees a solid piece of steel divide into two very fine lines, giving an expression of filigree imbued with formal simplicity.

The elegantly tapered legs of the powder-coated steel frame support a generous rounded seat and an embracing backrest that extends to partially support the forearm, elbow, or hands as an occasional armrest. This dual functionality makes the Violin Chair the perfect hybrid of dining chair and armchair. It allows you to easily twist around to speak to the person sitting next to you at dinner, while still remaining comfortable long after dessert and coffee are served.

Available both as an edition with an upholstered seat and slender steam-bent oiled walnut or oiled oak backrest, and the more voluminous edition in which both the seat and backrest are upholstered, the Violin Chair has a clear silhouette and strong identity. It can hold a multitude of different expressions to suit spaces from informal canteens to fine dining rooms, while a broad range of leather and upholstery fabrics offer customization options to reflect every interior style.

The Violin Chair’s light weight makes it easy to move around and its open frame allows for extended sight lines. It works well alone or in pairs but is particularly suited to arrangements in rows or around tables where its geometry echoes throughout a space, creating a harmonious, almost musical, repetition of form.

GUBI has worked with Danish-Italian design duo GamFratesi since the early days of their studio. With their own dual heritage, GamFratesi shares GUBI’s ability to fuse seemingly opposing concepts – the classic and the contemporary, the intellectual and the eclectic, the understated and the expressive, the manufactured and the crafted. These dualities, as well as their constant desire to challenge the status quo while respecting what has gone before, are epitomized in the Violin Chair.