NAVIS CHAIR

Navis, the Latin word for ship, is the origin of the word Nave, which is the central part of churches and chapels whose curved gable roofs evoke the submerged part of a ship’s hull. This is the inspiration for both the form and use of this chair, originally designed for a chapel in Paris, whose curved backrest also evokes the shape of a ship’s hull. Made entirely from solid oak, its gently curved seat and backrest offer stable support, while the rounded edges of the legs and exposed joints reveal precise, unadorned craftsmanship. Its neutral finish and streamlined silhouette allow it to blend easily with all types of tables and environments.

DESIGNER: Ionna Vautrin

Ionna Vautrin is a French designer whose creations combine softness, precise lines and intuitive uses. She creates simple, functional and surprising everyday objects for public and private spaces.

A graduate of the Nantes Atlantique design school, she worked for Camper, Sowden and the Bouroullecs before founding her studio in 2011. She has since collaborated with Foscarini, SNCF, JCDecaux and Monoprix, among others.

Revealed by the Binic lamp (Foscarini, 2010), in 2017 she created the TGV lamp for the SNCF, then the chairs for Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, installed for its reopening in 2024.