The Tulip chair was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1955 and 1956^[1] for the Knoll company of New York City.^[2] It was designed primarily as a chair to match the complementary dining table. The chair has the smooth lines of modernism and was experimental with materials for its time. The chair is considered a classic of industrial design.

The chair is often considered "space age" for its futuristic use of curves and artificial materials. The design was popularized by its use on the original Star Trek television series (1966–69).

Construction

The base of the tulip chair is of cast aluminum with a rilsan-coated finish. The shell is molded fiberglass, with a reinforced, plastic bonded finish. The upholstered foam cushion is removable with Velcro fastening.^[2]

Awards

• Museum of Modern Art Award, 1969^[2]
• Federal Award for Industrial Design, 1969^[2]
• Design Center Stuttgart Award, 1962^[2]

Star Trek

In the late 1960's the Tulip chair played a highly visible role on the TV show "Star Trek", where they appeared on the bridge set of the "U.S.S. Enterprise", as well as throughout the rest of the ship. The bridge chairs were slightly modified Tulip chairs that featured plastic appliques attached to their back panels. After the show was cancelled most of the set furnishing were discarded into trash dumpsters. Fortunately, several of the show's bridge chairs were salvaged, and have become highly prized collectibles. An original bridge Tulip chair was offered during the Profiles in History Hollywood Auction #17, selling for $18,000.