MoCo Details: a weekly series of posts written by designer/ blogger Gimena Moya Tonelli, all about the detail in design. Today we imagined (above) the brief for Rotterdam, what the manufacturer Vitra and designer Hella Jongerius telegraphed for this unique wooden chair...

Designing a standard and affordable chair can be a pretty tough brief for any designer. Hella Jongerius responded to Vitra's request by doing what she does best, giving the product great personality through her outstanding use of refinement and details.

The Rotterdam chair has a very linear structure made of solid wood; made of plywood, the seat and backrest are slightly curved for ergonomic reasons. In the hands of Jongerius the economic constraints have become the chair's strong point. The linear nature and bare lines enhance the carefully thought out details; the straight wooden legs have an angular cut that is repeated in the plastic gliders, and a translucent plastic inlay at the edge of the seat provides an accent of colour. The inlay also highlights the place where a notch is needed in the process of bending the plywood, nicely complementing the manufacturing process.