Pack Chair by Jasper Morrison
Pack Chair is renowned British designer Jasper Morrison's first chair for HAY – a contemporary reinterpretation of the trattoria chair, one of the most enduring and anonymous forms in the history of seating. With a plastic or upholstered seat and a wide range of colours to choose from, Pack Chair adapts as easily to a family kitchen as it does to a restaurant floor or office space. We visited Morrison in his studio in East London to learn how the project began.
It started with a small model on a shelf – the same space where Pack would gradually take shape. During a visit, Rolf Hay, HAY Co-founder and Creative Director of Furniture & Lighting, noticed it – archetypal in form, immediately compelling. That object became the starting point for a chair that translates the values of a traditional wooden chair into an industrial context. 'Everything we do needs to be relevant and original,' says Hay. 'We were talking about being a bit more radical with this typology. What if we could make it flat-packed?' The ambition was clear: to create one of the most accessible chairs in Jasper Morrison's body of work, without compromising on quality or intention.
Like all of Morrison's designs, Pack appears simple at first glance – indicative of the 'super normal' philosophy the designer is celebrated for – but conceals a high level of technical consideration. Its seat and backrest are made from 80% post-consumer recycled polypropylene blended with wood fibres, which reinforce the material and lend the surface a subtle, natural tactility. Solid oak legs and an optional plywood backrest introduce a natural counterpoint to the plastic form.
Delivered flat-packed, the chair follows a considered assembly logic: the legs are fixed in place, and the optional fabric cover clicks neatly into integrated grooves along the seat edge – inviting the user to take on the role of upholsterer, with a tailored result. Designed with disassembly, renewal, and repair in mind, Pack is made for a long life.
Familiar in form and considered in every detail, Pack is a chair that reveals more the closer you look – and the more you engage with it.
About Jasper Morrison
Born in London in 1959, Jasper Morrison is a leading multi-disciplinary industrial designer. He graduated in design from Kingston Polytechnic, the Royal College of Art and Berlin’s HdK, before opening his Office for Design in London in 1986, which remains today. In his quest to design objects that fit seamlessly into everyday surroundings, he creates simple yet characterful furniture and household products for many international companies. He has curated and participated in many exhibitions worldwide and published a number of books, with his contribution to design being acknowledged with membership of the Royal Designers for Industry, the Compasso D'Oro and a CBE. HAY's assortment features Jasper Morrison’s iconic Wall Clock and Table Clock, the HAY Outdoor Market by Jasper Morrison Shop, and the Pack Chair.
