Cantilevered comfort: Thonet unveils a throwback to the iconic S 32 with a light, compact lounge chair

Anyone who has ever taken a seat on a cantilever chair knows the experience is unlike any other: the chair reacts dynamically to your movement, its frame flexing with just the right amount of give. The springiness of the S 32 lounge chair’s tubular steel construction is a key part of what makes it so comfortable. This new design combines the typical characteristics of a cantilever chair with those of a lounge chair. The result is a flexible repose, paired with distinctive form and an air of lightness. To further enhance the chair’s ergonomics, the seat has been widened (58 cm) and is tilted slightly backwards. The S 32 Lounge chair does not have armrests, creating a relaxed atmosphere with no obvious barriers to communication, wherever it is used.

The seat height of 40 cm means it can harmonise easily with other lounge furniture: the perfect partner for sofas, with the added advantage of appearing both lighter and more compact than upholstered armchairs. Occupying minimal space, the tubular steel frame makes a transparent, open and airy impression. This memorable, minimalist design fits effortlessly into diverse interior settings – from residential to the contract.

This new lounge chair is based on the famous S 32 tubular steel cantilever chair originally conceived by Marcel Breuer in the 1920s. Breuer’s chair was distinguished by its use of contrasting materials: Viennese canework, characteristic of Thonet’s traditional bentwood furniture, and the least amount required of tubular steel. In keeping with the full S 32 range, the lightweight S 32 Lounge chair is available with either a canework seat (S 32 VL), an upholstered seat (S 32 SPVL), with seat and backrest in synthetic black mesh (S 32 NL) or an upholstered seat and backrest (S 32 PVL).

The S 32 Lounge chair is the ideal addition to the current collection, which consists of classic cantilever chairs with and without armrests, a swivel chair version (Atelier) and barstools in two different heights. This new model now makes it possible to create entire furnishing landscapes with a range of seat heights.