Vitra Gehry Wiggle Side Chair

When he found a pile of scrap cardboard outside his office one day, Frank Gehry decided to experiment by laminating and shaping it with a hand saw and a pocket knife. The result: This sinuous side chair, part of Gehry’s Easy Edges line and a design included in MoMA’s collection. Reinforced by hardboard panels, the sides are evocative of a winding river or mountain road. The base, seat, and back are formed by “end grain” corrugated cardboard that’s remarkably sturdy and comfortable. Over time, its surface softens and develops an inviting organic nap. The chair makes a playfully surprising statement in a living room or home office. Made in Germany by Vitra, a manufacturer of iconic modern furnishings that’s widely represented in MoMA’s collection. The Gehry Wiggle Stool is sold separately here.

A pioneer of postmodernism, Canadian architect Frank Gehry has reached “starchitect” status through his unmistakable designs for the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao. But his “Deconstructivist” style and international brand was built on decades of smaller projects and hands-on experimentation, yielding innovative design products like his Easy Edges cardboard furniture. His collaboration with Vitra runs deep: He designed the company’s museum on its Weil-am-Rhein campus. Fourteen of Gehry’s drawings, models, and furnishing designs are included in MoMA’s collection, including five examples of his Easy Edges furniture.