All images appear courtesy of Wilkhahn.
While we like to think of ourselves as symmetrically composed with excellent posture, sitting habits and desk management, the truth is a much more fluid engagement. Moreover, we are not the two-dimensional stick figures of the quintessential seated man. Rather, we are a leaning, angled, rotating and jiggling arrangement of idiosyncrasies and individual personality traits. Accordingly, Wilkhahn’s IN chair responds to our three-dimensional needs with a three-dimensional chair. That is, rather than the static profile describing a seat with various leaning angles to the back portion, Wilkhahn has considered the seated figure in motion.
The result is a highly adaptive rolling support that absorbs right and left changes in an organic and natural way via clearly articulated pivotal points. “Two independent scientific studies have verified that Trimension adapts superbly to bodies, improves health and productivity, and fosters well-being,” says Adrian Nicolini, Wilkhahn’s general manager of Australia and New Zealand.
And while the ability to move naturally, such as leaning sidewards, while fully supported, is an unprecedented improvement to seating standards, it is not the only excellent feature of this design. Indeed, there is also the adjustable seat length for longer legs, coupled with a fully flexible frame and armrests to allow complete customisation of the seat. Compounding this is supportive, but very comfortable seat cushioning and a back support fabric of varying densities for ergonomically precise comfort.
“All the details of IN have been meticulously designed, and the surfaces, contours and connecting parts demonstrate its high quality and precision. Also, the colour concept underscores the chair’s crisp, athletic aesthetic. It includes seven colours for the backrest and for the frame, which is also available in polished and high-lustre polished aluminium surfaces,” says Jean Paul de la Haye, regional manager, Asia. The beauty of the design, however, lies in its ease of adjustment and thereby its suitability to activity-based workspaces, where staff move rather than the chairs.
Sportier in appearance than the ON chair, the IN is effectively designed for contemporary office use with extended application across institutional and education interiors. Designed to endure, the IN model, like all Wilkhahn designs, is robust, contemporary and highly effective.