Introduced in 1958 as a special project by Ray Eames for a private residence being designed by Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard, the Eames Aluminum Group originally was specified as "leisure," or indoor-outdoor furniture. It was meant to address the lack of quality within this market. The seat-back suspension in this group was a major technical achievement and a departure from the traditional concept of a chair as a solid shell. Wonderfully comfortable, these chairs are now used in numerous locations and have become the basis for several other Eames designs, including the Soft Pad chairs.
