THONET chair Tubular steel chair • S 243 range

THONET chair Tubular steel chair • S 243 range

The S 243 combines a tubular steel frame with moulded wood parts for the seat and back. With minimal use of material, designer Frank Rettenbacher created a piece that is both elegant in form and versatile in use: as a light, stackable four-legged chair, it answers all the demands of today's living and working environments. It has a clear, logical construction: the two structurally more important rear legs have a larger tube diameter of 25 mm than the front legs, which measure 18 mm. The front legs run visibly all the way from the front of the chair to the join with the rear legs, giving the chair its formal lightness. The dimensions of the moulded wood seat set harmonise with the proportions of the tubular steel frame. The chair is available in several versions: as the S 243 with a seat and back in moulded plywood, as the S 243 SPV (fully upholstered seat, moulded plywood back) and as the S 243 PV (fully upholstered seat, back with mirror upholstery on the front). The tubular steel frame is available chrome-plated or in a colour powder-coated finish.

The THONET S 243 chair combines a tubular steel frame with moulded wood parts for the seat and back. It is available in three versions: unupholstered with moulded plywood, with a fully upholstered seat and moulded plywood back, and with a fully upholstered seat and mirror upholstery on the front of the back. The frame is supplied powder-coated and is available chrome-plated or in a glossy powder-coated finish for an additional charge. The wood is stained beech in four standard colours, with oak or walnut available for an additional charge. All three versions can be stacked five high; the S 2439 stacking trolley is available for transport.

• Design: Frank Rettenbacher, 2024
• Type: tubular steel chair
• Frame: tubular steel
• Frame version: powder-coated (chrome-plated or glossy powder-coated available for an additional charge)
• Glides: plastic glides (included) or felt glides (available for an additional charge)
• Set: seat and back in moulded plywood (moulded plywood, unupholstered) · upholstered seat, moulded plywood back (seat fully upholstered) · upholstered seat and back (seat fully upholstered, back with mirror upholstery)
• Surface finish: stained beech (standard colours: TP 17, TP 29, TP 239, RAL 6003), oak or walnut available for an additional charge
• Upholstery: seat fully upholstered (seat fully upholstered) · seat fully upholstered, back with mirror upholstery (seat fully upholstered, back with mirror upholstery)
• Optional: row connection (available for an additional charge)
• Stackability: 5 chairs stackable
• Seat height: 47 cm (moulded plywood, unupholstered) · 48 cm (seat fully upholstered / seat fully upholstered, back with mirror upholstery)
• Weight: 5.4 kg (moulded plywood, unupholstered) · 5.5 kg (seat fully upholstered) · 5.7 kg (seat fully upholstered, back with mirror upholstery)

• Dimensions (W x D x H): 48 x 52 x 79 cm

Mirror upholstery: With mirror upholstery, only the inner surface is upholstered – precisely the area you sit and lean against. The back of the seat shell remains visible in wood or plastic. This keeps the chair light and slender while still noticeably improving seating comfort.

Full upholstery: With full upholstery, the seat shell is covered all round in fabric or leather, including the back. The wood surface is then no longer visible. This gives the chair a softer, quieter and more homely appearance than the mirror-upholstered version.

Row connection: Chairs with row connection can be linked side by side into fixed rows without tools. This is required wherever large numbers of people sit together: in halls, churches, canteens or conference rooms. The Thonet connector is patented and meets DIN EN 14703, the standard for row seating including panic-release safety – in an emergency, the row can be cleared quickly and safely.