Aluminum Group
Introduced by Herman Miller in 1958, the Aluminum Group was designed by Charles and Ray Eames and initially envisioned as indoor-outdoor furniture. However, the focus soon shifted solely to indoor furniture.
The Aluminum Group features an aluminum frame which was covered in a variety of materials, including leather and fabric, often in a design that used 1.875″ ribs.
The initial design used a seat frame supporting a stretched synthethic mesh, which was discontinued not long after it was introduced. However, Herman Miller revised a mesh material for the Aluminum Group in 2001 with the introduction of Cygnus.
In 2008 Herman Miller celebrated the golden anniversary of the Aluminum Group with management, side, executive and lounge models. The thin-pad versions of the commemorative pieces have a special anniversary label.
According to the Herman Miller website, “The Aluminum Group initially was designed for Irwin Miller, founder of Cummins Engines, in Columbus, Indiana. Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard designed the Miller home and challenged Charles and Ray Eames to develop a high-quality seating product for outdoor use.”