Tubular steel cantilever chairs from Thonet take centre stage in the new Pageou restaurant in Munich
A well-known TV chef in Germany, Ali Güngörmüş serves fine Mediterranean cuisine in a tasteful, open, welcoming and timeless new space created by interior designer Nora Witzigmann. The light-filled restaurant prominently features Thonet’s iconic S 64 cantilever chair design. Their classic, formal simplicity and reduced aesthetics, together with airy canework in the seat and backrest, make the S 64 chairs the perfect fit for this elegant dining room.
“Pageou is a place of sensory experience; it reflects the personality and the history of its owner,” says Nora Witzigmann, explaining the interior design concept that she developed in collaboration with Ali Güngörmüş. The restaurant, located in the Fünf Höfe shopping mall in Munich’s city centre, is named after the East Anatolian village where the chef was born. “Well-crafted pieces in wood, leather and beautiful fabrics are combined with clean lines. Custom-made lampshades, shiny gold glass mosaic tiles and wood panelling are reminiscent of the Art Deco movement, which took its influences from the Ottoman period,” Nora continues.
Fittingly, it was also during the Art Deco era that Thonet’s iconic S 64 cantilever chair was created. For the furniture in the dining area, Witzigmann specified 34 of Thonet’s much-loved tubular steel cantilever chairs in the stained black beech version with natural canework.
The S 32 cantilever chair and the S 64 version with armrests are among the most well-known of the tubular steel classics. Marcel Breuer designed both models in 1928 during his time in Berlin, and they have been manufactured by Thonet since 1930. Their popularity stems from the appealing combination of something new with something tried and tested: the seat and backrest made of curving solid wood and canework embody the Thonet tradition of skilfully bending wood and working with wicker, while the tubular steel frame, which was revolutionary for its time, remains totally current and contemporary to this day. Their inherent versatility has also made these chairs some of the best-selling cantilever chairs in the market.
Ali Güngörmüş came to appreciate the iconic chairs, in the distinctive version with armrests, during his time as owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Canard Nouveau in Hamburg. “I love these chairs,” he enthuses, “And I know that they will be around for as long as I am. Their canework is beautiful, timeless and sturdy. I can be confident that my restaurant guests will happily relax on them for hours at a time because they are so comfortable.”
