James Irvine, the English designer, who lives in Milan, has developed a chair for Thonet in Germany which breaches the gap between modern production technology and the old tradition. At the heart of the design is a continuous wooden frame surrounding the chair: the “Loop”. This enables the form to present itself to the sitter as a self-contained whole. Says James Irvine: “The real innovation in the chair is the single loop of wood. If you look at it you suddenly understand how simple the chair is.” In terms of the results, the A 660 is a lean, comfortable chair with a clear silhouette drawing entirely on the pure effect of the materials used: bentwood, aluminium and webbing.