Modernist seating: Cafe Museum chair by Adolf Loos

Learning about how something lives on more than a century after it was created can be a daunting experience sometimes. It may not be existing 100 percent in its original form, but still the thought of the essence of the original idea being kept alive and in its initial context is a mental treat. Take, for example, the chair that Adolf Loos designed for the Café Museum in Vienna, Austria, in 1899.

Loos designed not only chairs for the café, he designed the whole establishment. It became very popular at the time, in spite of the fact that not all design critics agreed with his philosophy. Loos was known for avoiding the superfluous when it came to his work, which probably came across as plain to some people. In fact, his café was Café Nihilism because of its simplicity.

The chair doesn’t look plain to me at all. Simple, yes. Plain, no. It wasn’t ornamentation per se that Loos disliked; it was the fact that design and architecture at the time had a tendency to have superfluous ornamentation. In fact, some of Loos’ own creations were elaborately decorated. His personal life may have left much to be desired, but he gained so much respect for his design philosophy and output that he is regarded as a major figure in modern architecture and design.

He had a passion for organic design, and the Café Museum chair shows that. With its flowing curves, it almost seems like a living organism, as if it had been grown in a garden somewhere. Today you don’t have to go to Vienna to experience this chair. If you own a restaurant and want something with a historical background to pair with your bistro café tables, you can order Loos’ Café Museum chair online. It’s being manufactured by Gebrüder Thonet Vienna. The wooden legs and back are available in a variety of finishes, as is the seat.