.03 Maarten Van Severen

The .03 was the result of the first design collaboration between VITRA and Maarten Van Severen.

The .03 was conceived as a chair for both domestic living areas as well as public spaces where visual restraint is of prime importance, such as museums. Discussion with architects, dealers and other users, however, revealed many other additional uses. The .03 can be stacked inconspicuously and quite naturally in an office, ready for an improvised meeting, and many architects now see the .03 as a comfortable alternative to the classics for use in cafes, halls or waiting areas.

Van Severen has always produced creations of exemplary purity and clarity, and in partnership with a manufacturer for the first time, he was able to combine this style with a multitude of factors, including ergonomics, safety, and the heavy demands of the public. The moment you sit down in a .03, you realise the technical refinement. The rigidly designed shell ‘gives’ comfortably in the seat and back areas, and moulds the contours of the body. When you lean backwards, the top part of the back section yields to match your body, and the built-in spring mechanism provides counter-pressure, allowing the backrest to return to the original position. With its apparently simple design and styling, this chair is the epitome of the “less is more” concept.

The .03 is available either with armrests or as a stacking chair. The stacking chair takes up little space, as the shells fit closely on top of one another and there is no need for dividing buffers.