Cab 412 Chair

The Cab chair by Italian designer and architect Mario Bellini consists of two distinct elements: A leather cover is stretched like a tight leather over a tubular steel chair frame. The cover can be opened and closed by means of four zippers running along the inside of the legs under the seat.

The only reinforcement is a plastic plate that supports the seat. The innovation here is Bellini’s application of the principle of mounting the cover, previously used only on upholstered furniture, to the frame of the metal chair using zippers. Unlike the typical aesthetics of tubular steel furniture, which emphasizes the visual contrast of the structure and the cladding material, Bellini here chose to completely envelop the supporting structure. This gives the chair a uniform look that enhances the quality of the natural leather.