Mart Stam

Mart Stam wrote design history with a simple but revolutionary idea: the first cantilever chair without back legs. What began as a technical experiment became a symbol of modern design – clear, functional and boldly conceived.

Mart Stam (1899–1986) was an architect, designer and visionary – and one of the pioneers of modern furniture design. He developed a chair without the classic back legs: A frame made of chrome-plated tubular steel that provided stability and seating comfort at the same time thanks to its springy construction. His design was not only formally new, but also an expression of a new way of thinking: furniture should not decorate, but serve people – simply, honestly and industrially producible.
This attitude also permeated his architectural work, which was committed to “Neues Bauen”. Stam later taught in the Soviet Union, Germany and the Netherlands, but always remained an uncompromising representative of socially motivated design. Mart Stam showed that good design begins with a good idea – and the courage to think it through.