Allez Oak from Normann Copenhagen

A new generation of café chairs

Normann Copenhagen presents its first componentbased chair based on a ’knock down’ principle and made in pure polypropylene for both indoor and outdoor use. The Allez chair invites you to take a break from a hectic urban lifestyle, where space is often limited and mobile design is key.

A French feel

The design of the Allez chair alludes to the French city life and bistro culture that emerged in the late 1800s and has since become a popular way of life all over the world. In the wake of the Wiener chair, the very symbol of café culture, time has made space for a new generation of café-inspired chairs like the Allez. Allez gives a contemporary look and feel to the traditional café chair’s soft idiom and constructive strength in terms of design, functionality and sustainability. The result is a flexible design that still nods to a bygone era but has now been adapted to suit even more environments and user scenarios.

A design without compromise

It has taken several years of development for designer Simon Legald and Normann Copenhagen to create a chair that meets the expectations of a modern and flexible design and works both indoors and outdoors. The search for manufacturers with market-leading expertise led to Italy, where specialists were willing to commit to the ever-increasing requirements that Normann Copenhagen sets for a future bestseller. Allez is made by a skilled plastic foundry with more than 35 years of experience in quality, plastic furniture design. In true Italian style, the manufacturer recommended a dear friend - one of the most talented design engineers in the industry - to help find the right solution for a chair that was both lightweight and extremely strong. Endless calculations, a set of custom-made tools and multiple durability tests later and the complete, componentbased chair was finally ready.

The Allez chair has a light and airy look, and the design idiom draws on recognizability. The organic curves of the shell mimic the shape of the body. Together with the reinforced backrest, this ensures optimal strength and seating comfort. The designer’s signature principle of an honest design suited for modern needs is clearly evident in the shape of the Allez chair. About the design, designer Simon Legald tells:

”Most chairs are based on a construction consisting of a type of shell and a frame. By breaking up the chair into components, it can be shaped and adapted to suit different environments. The construction was a key motivation in the design and is what makes Allez so innovative and unique.”

Allez is available in five timeless tones, each reflecting the stark and beautiful Nordic nature. A balanced and neutral color palette of park green, grey and warm grey, as well as black and white, allows the design to humbly fit into larger contexts and outdoor environments. The color scale supports the desire for a design that will stay relevant for many generations to come.

Minimal material and optimal strength

The main body of Allez is molded polypropylene (PP), a highly durable thermoplastic material which in its purest form can be recycled several times without losing its properties. The design is made through an injection molding process whereby gas is pumped into the mold, shaping the polypropylene. This technique enables the production of more complex items with greater tolerances in material thickness, while using only the exact material needed to make the chair, thus minimizing the amount of material used while increasing the strength of the product. With a minimal amount of material in the design, Allez weighs just 3.6 kg, making it easy to move around. Despite the light weight, the Allez chair meets European standards Level 2 (EN 16139:2013 and EN 1022:2005) and ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 – 2017, which classify the design for heavy use in areas with a high user intensity, such as airport terminals, teaching institutions and night clubs.

Industrial inspiration

Driven by a desire to create a durable design, Normann Copenhagen sought inspiration from other innovative industries such as the automotive industry, where a design’s lifetime is lengthened by changing its parts. Normann Copenhagen has brought this principle to the furniture industry with Allez - a component-based ’knock down’ chair that can be taken apart for the material to be recycled and any worn parts to be replaced, thus prolonging the life of the chair.

The Allez chair’s components are available in several variants, allowing the customers to put together a design to suit their personal style and needs. The discreet dimensions make the chair easy to push under a table, while the design fits in just as easily in a small home as in dining areas with multiple seating. For the outdoor life on terraces, sidewalk cafés or parks, the chair seat is available in solid-cast polyamide, where a discreet cut leads away water. For increased comfort, the chair is available to order with color-coordinated seat upholstery in quality fabrics from Camira and Sørensen Leather, and also comes with OEKO-TEX-certified outdoor upholstery from Sunbrella. Furthermore, the seat is available in a sensory spray-molded weave to add a little extra French bistro charm to a restaurant or home balcony. To add warmth and contrast to the frame, the chair legs are available in oak, which is particularly suitable for dining rooms or indoor seating areas in restaurants.

The café chair’s companion

The Allez series also includes a table consisting of a cast-iron base and a selection of various tabletops. Inspired by the classic café table, the choice of materials includes marble, which in addition to the 4 mm thin tabletop option in stainless steel is particularly suitable for outdoor use. The tabletop is also available in a choice of black or natural oak veneer and all tabletops are offered in circular or square. The many possible combinations allow the Allez set-up to be tailored to suit the exact design required.

Natural meeting point

Allez comes in separate components and is delivered flat-packed. Using this type of spaceefficient packaging reduces CO2 emissions during shipment and also makes it easy for the customer to bring home the chair. The assembly process has been carefully thought into the construction and makes it easy for the owner to put the components together. Allez comes with a small set of tools and an instruction manual, enabling the customer to assemble the chair in a matter of minutes. To meet more individual needs, Allez can also be ordered fully assembled.

With its modern design and incredible ability to assume a wide range of expressions, Allez will form part of any intimate space for new, meaningful moments.