Máni Armshell by Welling Ludvik
Màni Armshell is a polypropylene chair featuring soft, curving contours, that provides comfortable seating to support even the most relaxed postures. Although different to other chairs in the Màni collection, which it is a part of although it is essentially another project, it does share the collection’s extreme versatility. The polypropylene shell produced from a single mould is accompanied by a choice of small seats made of wood, upholstered or in tone-on-tone polypropylene in a slightly deeper shade. Màni Armshell, which is also available in a completely upholstered version, can be combined with ten different chair or stool bases featuring wooden legs, metal sled base, swivel trestle base or casters.
Màni Armshell, a combination of functionality, comfort and aesthetics
When Hee Welling and Gudmundur Ludvik set to work on a new project connected with the Màni family, they asked themselves what the essence of the collection was. The answer to this question – the perfect combination between functionality, comfort and aesthetics – led to the creation of Màni Armshell, a single-shell chair similar in its versatility to other chairs in the collection yet completely new in terms of character and design.
«Máni Armshell is the best possible version of this type of chair»
Q. What was the vision that accompanied the creation of Màni Armshell?
A. As designers we feel privileged to be able to share our ideas with many people through our designs. It’s a great responsibility because every time we bring out a new product we also have to consider the impact it will have on the environment. It was therefore important to us that the new Màni Armshell chair did not become just another chair but was the best version possible of this particular type of chair.
Q. What locations do you imagine the new chair in?
A. We think that Màni Armshell addresses the needs of both the contract market and the private sector as its appearance and function can be adapted by changing the materials and bases to suit the environment.
Q. The collaboration with Arrmet is renewed. What is the meeting point of your visions or what are the values that complement each other to create the perfect designer-company collaboration?
A. As a Scandinavian design studio, we have strong roots in the traditions and values that have surrounded us all our lives. These values, pure aesthetics and functionality, are fundamental to the way we approach design.
Arrmet has a long history and a great reputation for creating high quality products. For us as designers, it has been a privilege to be complemented with so much experience and high level of craftsmanship, an exquisite sense of tactility, sensuousness and understanding of material quality.
Both Arrmet and Welling/Ludvik share the same ambitions to always create the best possible product, to the benefit of the end user and the environment. We believe that diversity and mutual respect in the process is fundamental for a successful collaboration, and that ours has proven the potential of joining forces across design cultures and competencies. We are very proud of the Máni collection and to be part of the Arrmet family.
Technical focus on the collection
Màni Armshell is a polypropylene single-shell chair with applied seat. The back is available in seven colours, carefully selected by the designers in conjunction with Arrmet, and is combined with a small polypropylene, wooden or upholstered seat. The distinction between the back and the seat not only lends the design more character, it also allows different materials and finishes to be mixed and matched, giving comfort a tactile as well as an aesthetic quality. The new range of shades for the plastic and the combination of polypropylene back and seat is the result of studies and research work which led to the colour swatch card being completely revised and embellished with new shades in milk, pale pink, ice, oxide red and dark green. The Màni Armshell in milk, black, oxide red and brown is available as a single colour version, with back, seat and metal legs all in the same shade. The back, even on the completely upholstered version, can be matched with as many as ten different chair and stool bases.
