Palissade Cantilever Chair by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

The Palissade Cantilever range adopts the symmetrical geometry of the original collection but modifies the base: the frame rests on a continuous sled rather than four legs. The seat is thus supported in a cantilever style, with no support beneath it: this is what is known as a cantilever. This has two concrete consequences. The silhouette becomes lighter: the void beneath the seat makes it appear as though it is resting on nothing. More importantly, the frame works: the steel flexes slightly under weight, providing a flexible seat with a spring-like effect that a four-legged base cannot offer. The seat and backrest consist of spaced flat slats, which allow rainwater to drain and air to circulate. This chair is the armless version of the range and the narrowest at 40 cm wide: it is the one you align around a long table. It is available in powder-coated steel—a stove-enamel powder paint that forms a hard, opaque layer—and in hot-dip galvanized steel, which is dipped in a molten zinc bath: this finish is not painted, it develops a patina, and is the best suited for salty environments.