Crisis Chair by Piet Hein Eek, 1990s

The ‘Crisis Chair’ is one of Piet Hein Eek’s earliest and most emblematic designs. Created during his time as a student at the Design Academy Eindhoven, the chair emerged from a desire to make thoughtful, functional furniture using minimal resources.

Constructed from scrap wood and simple joinery, the chair reflects Eek’s core design philosophy: honest materials, visible construction, and a rejection of excess. Each chair bears the traces of manual production, with natural variations in wood and finish making every piece unique.

The design is at once raw and refined. Its straight lines and austere form speak to both necessity and aesthetic restraint. In times of scarcity or economic uncertainty, the Crisis Chair demonstrates how limitation can foster creativity and clarity.

An early work that laid the foundation for Eek’s later reputation as a pioneer in sustainable and reclaimed design.