This great armchair was designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha 62 years ago for the Paulistano Athletic Club in São Paulo, Brazil.
"It was an inspiration by a type of hammock used in Brazilian indigenous cultures." said Paulo.
Is made from one 17-foot-long piece of solid phosphatized carbon steel and a leather sling. Both materials age in their own unique and beautiful ways. The process of phosphatisation is a surface treatment done in order to stop the first main oxidation although the structure will oxidize slowly with time. Oxidation (iron oxide) is a natural process. Paulo Mendes da Rocha wanted the appearance of the structure to change, to evolve with time, according to the modernist precepts. According to him, the charm of a piece of furniture resides in its "un-permanent" character. The carbon surface is delicate and can be marked easily.
Nowadays the Paulistano armchair has an outdoor version made of a black or white powder coated frame and a fabric canvas cover. This cover is made of 100% cotton treated for outdoor use.