Saarinen Tulip Chair

The Saarinen Tulip Chair was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1956 as part of his Pedestal Collection for Knoll, alongside the Tulip Table. Available in both armchair and side chair versions, it features a molded fiberglass seat shell on a single cast aluminum pedestal base, fulfilling Saarinen's vision of eliminating the chaotic "slum of legs" under tables. The chair's flowing lines from base to seat create a sense of organic unity that was revolutionary in an era dominated by four-legged furniture. The Tulip Chair's significance extends beyond aesthetics to a fundamental rethinking of how chairs relate to tables and spaces. By replacing four legs with a single pedestal, Saarinen created chairs that allow diners to sit and slide freely without bumping into chair legs, making dining more comfortable and the under-table view more harmonious. When paired with the matching Tulip Table, the result is a unified, sculptural dining ensemble with unprecedented visual clarity. Knoll continues to produce the chairs with upholstered seat pads in a wide range of fabrics and colors.