New Online Only

NYC Subway Offspring Chair

$6,990 Non-Member
$6,291 Member
Members save up to 20% & free shipping $35+
New Online Only

NYC Subway Offspring Chair

$6,990 Non-Member
$6,291 Member
Members save up to 20% & free shipping $35+

Color:  Multi

Item# 25618-808523 In Stock
15% off with code FRIENDS15, members get a total of 20% off with code FRIENDS20
Shipping surcharge of $175.00 
Special Order:
1

MoMA Exclusive: A New York public icon, ready to live in your home. Crafted in the Netherlands and produced in a limited edition of 25, the NYC Subway Chair pays homage to the benches designed by Robert Iezzi in the early 1970s for the NYC subway system. Iezzi was commissioned by the New York Port Authority to create a sustainable bench for waiting passengers on public transport around the Hudson River. Since then, these long sold wooden benches have been iconic in the New York Underground.

This festive tribute features the famous seating reimagined in a vibrant color combination, making this design more than just a chair but also a striking art object for your home. The NYC Subway Offspring Chair is made from painted MDF and measures 32h x 24w x 20.5"w. Comes assembled.

  • Designer
    Hieke Aardema
  • Size
    32h x 24w x 20.5"d
  • Material
    Lacquered MDF
  • Year of Design
    2020
  • Special shipping charge of $175.00
  • This item cannot be shipped outside of the contiguous U.S.
  • If for any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, you may return merchandise within 90 days for a refund in the form of original payment for contiguous U.S orders. Learn More.

$7.95 Flat standard shipping fee available. Learn More.

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Why We Chose This
Before Robert Iezzi developed his NYC subway benches in the 1970s, seating in the underground was provided by Gustav Stickley, a designer with furniture in MoMA’s collection, back in the early 20th century. Over the subsequent decades the subway bench has been redesigned and the blocky, wooden subway bench by Iezzi can still be seen in many NYC subway stations. The Offspring Chair reimagines that familiar form in a brightly hued handcrafted rendition.
The Inspiration
The Inspiration

“I love that Robert Iezzi’s benches from the ‘70s are all natural wood and that the design is extremely simple,” says designer Hieke Aardema. “The simpleness and pure functionality make the design of the bench timeless. Bringing a one-seat chair to the market as the smallest unit of the design, was meant as a tribute to Iezzi’s original.”

50th Anniversary
50th Anniversary

“I got the idea to have a special one-seat version—the Offspring chair—made for the 50th anniversary of the benches’ design. This would be a unique, limited-edition chair, crafted in a completely new way and executed in different festive colors from the 1970s.”

Crafting the Chair
Crafting the Chair

“After we aimed for the chair to have no trace of nails, screws or staples, it was decided that it would be held together from inside. The different parts of the chair are made with a CNC-machine (Computer Numerical Control), guaranteeing that each part of each next chair would be exactly the same.”

Hieke Aardema
Hieke Aardema

Hieke Aardema is a Dutch designer and entrepreneur who, after a career as a midwife, in her fifties finally turned to what had always been her personal interest: design and architecture. She was deeply inspired by the iconic wooden platform benches in the New York City subway stations. These benches, known for their simplicity, elegance, and functionality, sparked her passion for creating products from honest and straightforward materials.

Authenticity Guarantee

At MoMA Design Store, all of the designs we sell are curator-approved and authentic. We ensure the integrity of our products through research and by working closely with the designers. Our products embody the spirit of good design objects in MoMA's collection. Some of them are actual designs represented in the Museum's collection.

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