Description
Plaka Chair (1973). Arq. Ricardo Blanco
An iconic piece of Argentine industrial design, reinterpreted in metallic green PLA. Ideal for decorating desks and shelves, it adds character, design value, and a strong conceptual presence to any space.
Dimensions
Width: 10 cm
Height: 13 cm
Depth: 0.5 cm
Weight: 35 g
(Available in other colors and sizes upon request)
History
The Plaka Chair was designed by Ricardo Blanco between 1972 and 1973, in a context shaped by late modernism, local industrial development, and the need to conceive intelligent, economical, and reproducible objects. An architect, designer, and leading design theorist, Blanco sought to create a piece that would resolve structure, ergonomics, and folding using the fewest possible resources.
The result was a chair made from a single laminated wood sheet, precisely cut and folded, free of superfluous elements or decorative artifice. One of its most fascinating features is its ability to fold almost completely flat—so much so that it can be hung on a wall like a graphic object or a piece of art. This dual condition, oscillating between functional object and visual statement, is what made it iconic.
The name Plaka is no coincidence: it derives from the Spanish word placa (sheet or plate), intentionally altered by Blanco to reinforce its conceptual nature. Originally produced by the Argentine company Indumar, the Plaka became a quiet manifesto of national industrial design—austere, ingenious, and deeply modern. Over time, it transcended borders and is now part of the permanent collections of the MoMA (New York) and LACMA (Los Angeles), an exceptional achievement for an Argentine design piece of its era.
