The Continuity GuideMoonbase Guide
Furnishings
by Martin Willey
The Continuity GuideA number of different white fibreglass or plastic chairs appeared in the series, the most prominent of which is the Gaudi, seen in Main Mission. The original chairs were designed to be stackable, and were issued in many colours. Keith Wilson only used the white versions in Moonbase Alpha. The chairs were among the first all-plastic furniture created, in sturdy GRP (fibreglass reinforced polyester), from prestige Italian brands.
Many of the chairs were designed by Vico Magistretti (1920-2006) for the Italian company Artemide. Magistretti's Selene stacking chair, produced in the 1960s, was one of the first commercial plastic chairs and is part of the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as well as other design museums around the world. The slender grooved legs are folded into a "W"-shape in section, to give them added strength. Magistretti first modelled the shape in paper in prove its strength. This can also be seen in his later designs for armchairs, the Gaudi and the Vicario. He used the same legs for his Stadio tables.
The Selene chair was designed by Magistretti for Artemide in 1968. It is made of fibreglass (glass reinforced polyester). Unlike the Gaudi and Vicario chairs, it has no arms and simple upright back legs. It is 47cm wide, 47cm seat height, 78cm tall and 50cm front to back. Heller produced a version (as "model 1006") in 2002, made of nylon or polycarbonate.
It is seen throughout Alpha, often standing alone in corridors and sometimes in the Eagle passenger module. It is the chair used for command conferences in Koenig's Command Office. Later in the series, Kano uses one at his desk in Main Mission.
The Gaudi was designed by Magistretti for Artemide in 1971. It is 60cm wide, 73cm tall and 55cm front to back. The back is a little lower than the Selene (5cm), and the back legs are angled backwards. Heller reissued a version of the chair (as the "New Gaudi") in 2007. It is seen in Main Mission (except, sometimes, for Kano's chair), and in the Eagle passenger module.
The Vicario chair is a wider and slightly shorter version of the Gaudi. It is 72cm wide, 68cm tall and 65cm front to back (that's 12cm wider and 5cm shorter). It is normally to the side in Koenig's Command Office.
The Toga was designed by Sergio Mazza for Artemide in 1968. It is 80cm wide, 64cm tall and 80cm front to back.
There are seen in Koenig's Command Office, on the Main Mission balcony and in the Travel Tube.
On the Ultra Probe in Dragon's Domain, the classic Eames aluminium group management chairs, designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1958, and produced by Herman Miller.
The small stool in these shots is an Artemide chair, the 40cm tall Efebo (50cm wide x 47cm), designed by Stacy Dukes. A smaller version (the 31cm tall Efebino, 42cm wide x 38cm) was produced by Artemide, but not seen in the series
A wide variety of other chair designs was seen on Moonbase Alpha.
A unidentified chair with metal tubing that is often seen in Medical.
An orange chair appears, especially in the second series, in living quarters, the Eagle passenger module, Weapons Section and other locations. This is possibly a PSC-1 with swivel base, a fibreglass chair with vinyl covering, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1975.
The orange chair
A rarely seen grey version.
A brown chair appears in some living quarters.
Copyright Martin Willey