ULTRALEGGERA 1660 Is the World’s Lightest Chair

It’s true, weighing in at a little over 1660 grams, ULTRALEGGERA 1660 is currently the world’s lightest chair. It was designed by Oskar Zięta as a response to the lightweight challenge set by Gio Ponti’s design icon, the Superleggera chair from 1957. The minimalist ULTRALEGGERA chair is a mono-object, or a piece of furniture created in response to the challenges of the modern world.

Bionics, or engineering inspired by biology, is for us an important point of departure. In the natural environment, there are structures that have been optimized in the process of evolution – we observe them and try to transfer these “clever” solutions to the world of design and architecture. What I have in mind here are such structures as the delicate but extremely strong wings of dragonflies, durable chitinous shells of beetles or light and stable pneumatic bird skeletons.

– Oskar Zięta, designer

Because it’s made of one material – aluminum – ULTRALEGGERA follows the philosophy of Mono-Material Thinking and is fully recyclable, while also being part of the circular economy. Its durable frame is made using FiDU technology and a laser-cut seat plus backrest. FiDU technology, uses air to force the metal to expand and deform according to its natural characteristics. Specially designed shapes are cut and welded together, then “inflated” with compressed air. Innovative FiDU is a material and energy-saving technology, helping to optimize material and energy consumption while minimizing waste.

Zięta proved ULTRALEGGERA’s strength through two tests. The first was performed on a free-standing chair with a load of 500 kg., the second one immobilized the chair as it endured a load of 1208 kg.

With stability, durability and simplicity as its main components, ULTRALEGGERA is timeless. Last year, it won the MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award 2020 Best of Award in the Product Category. Recently, the chair has been awarded the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021.

Photo: Bartek Pawlik

Photo: Ada Gruszka

To learn more about the ULTRALEGGERA 1660 Chair, visit zieta.pl.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

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