The Blow Chair
The Blow Chair was designed by De Pas, D'Urbino, Lomazzi & Scolari in 1967 and produced in 1968. The producer of this chair was design firm Zanotta, and was an instant hit. It was the first mass produced inflatable chair. 
The inspiration for this inflatable armchair came from the function of the materials for an inflatable boat. The designers believed that it was essential that the chair was light, easy to store, transparent, inexpensive and to aim at a simple to design, uncomplicated object for a fresh, alternative youthful style of living.It was to be manufactured in transparent PVC foil but as it was not possible to glue this material, it was necessary to develop an alternative joining method. After much research and testing it was discovered that the PVC could be joined by electronic welding. This chair is still in production today.
The Blow Chair was designed for indoor and outdoor use, but the plastic material made it impractical on a hot summer day. The chair came with its own repair kit as its life was expected to be short; its cheap price reflected this.
Bold bright colours were used for the Blow Chair which were desired by designers and the public alike. Chairs in colours such a orange, blue, yellow and red were manufactured.
The Blow Chair was designed for indoor and outdoor use, but the plastic material made it impractical on a hot summer day. The chair came with its own repair kit as its life was expected to be short; its cheap price reflected this.
Bold bright colours were used for the Blow Chair which were desired by designers and the public alike. Chairs in colours such a orange, blue, yellow and red were manufactured.
As the emergence of new materials had influenced a new cultural trend towards prefabrication and disposable items the Blow Chair become very popular with the youth culture. Also as it was inexpensive it appealed to the youth as it was furniture they could afford and own themselves. Perhaps this was the beginning of the disposable society we live in today.
The Blow Chair was big and comfortable and like nothing anyone had seen before. Publicity for the chair was huge because it was something new and fresh for Zanotta. The chair was used for lounging on, for sharing with friends, for showing off and then tossing aside when the trend was over.
The Blow Chair was big and comfortable and like nothing anyone had seen before. Publicity for the chair was huge because it was something new and fresh for Zanotta. The chair was used for lounging on, for sharing with friends, for showing off and then tossing aside when the trend was over.
The chair has always kept in production, but a big relaunch took place in the Eighties, when it was given ‘design classic’ status by Zanotta and pushed as a high end interior product. Though cheap imitation versions were on sale everywhere the original Blow Chair with its ‘classic’ status demanded higher price and these days it is not a cheap piece of throwaway furniture, but more something to be looked after.http://books.google.com.au/books?id=lXdee8d4WFEC&pg=PA144&lpg=PA144&dq=Blow+Chair+Scolari+D’urbino,+Lomazzi+And+De+Pas&source=bl&ots=ExXlUpufJC&sig=IBVxy7dvj0wUPSpzDQICB4NJyk0&hl=en&ei=_uUASvuoLpWI6wO03cScBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#PPA119,M1
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10019266.html
http://www.designmatcher.com/nl/gallery_detail.php?galleryID=847
http://www.allmodern.com/Zanotta-270-ZTA1012.html#ProdDetails
http://www.retrowow.co.uk/retro_style/homes/retro_furniture.html
http://vads.ac.uk/diad/magazine.php?year=1968
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