Jasper Morrison has given Emeco’s classic upholstered Navy Officer Collection a fresh, light and modern update.
The upholstered Navy Officer series was first introduced in 1948. As US Navy Officers were being redeployed off Navy Warships to land based facilities, they wanted a little more comfort than the ship board 1006 Navy chair provided. The Navy Officer Chair was born a bit bigger and a bit softer. Since then, the Navy Officer series has been used for working and dining in settings where an extra level of comfort and durability is demanded. With its long history, not to mention its countless cameo appearances in films and TV series, this humble but proud chair is an unimpeachable symbol of no-nonsense American ingenuity.
Jasper Morrison has made this classic chair relevant for today, whilst remaining true to its original look, character and material – recycled aluminum. In our factory in Hanover, PA, our craftsmen build the Navy chairs by hand, following our unique 77-step process.
The Navy Officer Collection by Jasper Morrison features a chair, an armchair and swivel chairs, available in hand-brushed aluminum or a black powder coat finish. Upholstery is offered in a selection of Kvadrat and Maharam textiles and leathers.
“This distinctive US Navy design and personality is immediately recognizable. The idea was to build on that heritage and make it a chair for everyone – today and tomorrow. Jasper Morrison’s update has done just that, and given the Navy Officer Chair a healthy dose of Super Normal.” – Gregg Buchbinder, CEO & Owner, Emeco
About JASPER MORRISON
Jasper Morrison was born in London in 1959. He graduated in Design from Kingston Polytechnic in 1982. Then he attended the Royal College of Art, which included a year at Berlin’s HdK art school. In 1986 he set up his Office for Design in London. He established himself with two installations: Reuters News Centre at Documenta 8 in Kassel in 1987, and Some New Items for the Home, Part I, at the DAAD Gallery in Berlin in 1988. Jasper’s earliest designs were produced by Aram and SCP in London, Neotu in Paris, FSB in Germany and Cappellini in Italy. In 1989, he began collaboration with Vitra with the exhibition Some New Items for the Home, Part II, at Milan’s Furniture Fair. In 1994 Jasper began a consultancy with Üstra, the Hanover transport authority, designing a bus shelter and a new tram for the city. Further collaborations began in this period with the Italian companies Alessi, Flos, and Magis, and the German porcelain manufacturer Rosenthal.
In the 2000s Jasper began consultancies with Muji, Samsung, Ideal Standard and Established & Sons. In 2006 he collaborated with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa on the exhibition Super Normal at Axis Gallery in Tokyo. It was followed by a book and toured to London, Milan and New York. This exhibition inspired the opening of the Jasper Morrison Shop beside his London studio in 2009. Since 2010 Jasper has collaborated with Spanish companies Camper, Kettal and Andreu World, and US companies Maharam and Emeco. He is art director of Swiss electronics company Punkt.
Jasper Morrison has presented many exhibitions including at Axis Gallery and at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs Bordeaux. In 2015 a touring retrospective exhibition “Thingness” was accompanied by a new monograph A Book of Things. Previous books include Everything But The Walls and The Good Life, both published by Lars Müller. Jasper Morrison Ltd currently has offices in London, Tokyo and Paris.
About Emeco
Founded on the principle ”Begin with what’s left over, turn it into what will last”, American furniture maker Emeco, has been building chairs from recycled materials for over 76 years. In the throes of World War II, the U.S. Navy needed a place to sit. Emeco took on the challenge and in 1944 the 1006 Navy Chair® was born. Built by hand at our factory in Hanover, Pennsylvania using a unique 77-step process and scrap aluminum – a wartime necessity. Ever since, we have been building chairs from recycled aluminum so strong that we guarantee them for life.
To live up to the standards we inherited from our founders, we are continuously exploring new solutions for turning waste materials into simple, useful and timeless chairs. Together with some of the world’s leading architects and designers, we make the best furniture possible that also sits lightly on the planet.