Glass House Chairs

Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma, designed an entirely glass pavilion completed in 2010 in New Canaan Connecticut.  Though well known in Asia and Europe, this was his first project in the US.  The clients lived in a 1956 pavilion designed by one of New Canaan’s architects who were designing significant modern residences from 1947-1970.  They commissioned Kuma to design a second pavilion for the site.  

The primary space in the pavilion is a formal dining room.  Finding the formal dining table and chairs to equip the space was a collaboration between the client, designer Pina Signorello, and Ian Kirby.  For the transparent dining space, at the suggestion of Pina, the client selected a 14-foot long, glass-topped table designed by Italian architect, Carlo Scarpa in 1968.  The selection of the formal dining chairs presented quite a challenge.  The client visited all the important furniture showrooms in New York but could not find a delicate, high-backed, understated chair.  She turned to Pina for recommendations. Unable to find a manufactured high-backed, well-crafted chair, Pina mentioned the name, Ian Kirby.  

The client visited Ian in his studio. They looked at books, but spent most of their time discussing the clients vision for the chair. A number of features came into focus. A slim, elegant profile, a delicate support system and a chair that could stand alone as well as be a congenial member of a group. The result is an integrated back and seat with a neutral colored linen and cotton fabric cradled in a frame of maple.