About A Chair AAC 221 swivel chair by Hee Welling

HAY presents the AAC 221 as "counterbalancing the more formal expression of the aluminum swivel base with the softness of the upholstered shell." Same dimensions and same design as the AAC 220, low armrests included, in standard or quilted upholstery.

The upholstered shell, and what the textiles are

The shell is the same as on the naked-shell models, a molded recycled polypropylene—that is what the HAY product sheet says—but here it is covered over its entire surface. Foam is placed on the shell and then covered with the chosen upholstery: the contact is softer and the noise better dampened in high-traffic rooms. In return, an upholstery must be cleaned by dabbing and not by spraying.

The coverings offered here: Hallingdal 65, Kvadrat wool (70% wool, 30% viscose), the company's classic, very resistant; Sense, HAY's aniline leather dyed through: it lets the grain show and develops a patina with use. The so-called quilted variants—HAY uses the term quilted—feature topstitching that compartments the padding: the stuffing does not shift over time, and the relief breaks up the uniform surface.

The swivel base: cast aluminum, polished or powder-coated

The base is a piece of cast aluminum—HAY writes cast aluminium swivel base—whose four branches extend from a single center. The shell rotates on this base. The glides are standard glides, not casters: the chair turns on itself but does not move on its own, which is more suitable for a meeting or dining table than for a workstation.

Two finishes. Polished aluminum is a naked, shiny metal whose luster comes from mechanical polishing: it marks slightly with fingerprints and is revived with a soft cloth. Black powder-coated aluminum receives a powder baked in an oven: a thick, matte layer that is more tolerant to impacts. HAY presents this base as "a more formal expression" than that of the wooden-legged models.