Molded Plywood Shell

This prototype seat was an early product of the Kazam! machine. The innovative machine built by Charles and Ray created a glued sandwich of veneers several layers thick that was heated and shaped against a plaster mold by an inflatable membrane filled by a bicycle pump. The heat and pressure allowed the Eameses to mold plywood into curves without strains or breaks. The designers’ bold and original concept was to create a comfortable seat from a single piece of plywood that didn’t require upholstery, and this was one of their first attempts to realize that goal. They put great emphasis on the process of design, in order to arrive at a template for products that could be reproduced without a loss in quality.