EA322 Reclining Arm Chair

When the Eames Aluminum Group designs were modified in the late 1960s, particular attention was paid to matters of comfort. Although this lounge chair fundamentally continues the structural approach established for the collection during its initial development, a new tilt-swivel mechanism modified the design in both appearance and function. Most notably, while an aluminum spreader is still used along the chair’s back, the lower spreader is replaced by a black bar with four protruding arms, which connect to the chair’s side members. Additionally, the original tilt mechanism that had been used for both the lounge and reclining chairs was replaced with a tilt-swivel mechanism for increased mobility. The manner of attaching the head cushion, which distinguishes the lounge chair from the rest of the collection, remains the same: it attaches to the back of the seat pad and folds over the chair’s upper edge so that it rests at the top of the seat. This approach follows the overall logic of the chair’s construction, specifically the way that the textile wraps around the edge of the chairs’ side members (achieved by essentially flipping them inside-out after the pad is attached). Overall, this chair encapsulates how the Eames Aluminum Group as a whole has undergone dynamic change while also maintaining a significant degree of continuity throughout its history.