Reversal Chair
Juri Roemmel

A tool for sitting

The Reversal Chair by Juri Roemmel fits in wherever aesthetics are required and a good office chair is missing. Its character: two strong positions. Sometimes a kneeling chair, then reduced seating furniture with a backrest.

There are living areas that do not tolerate office chairs – the home office made this clear. And yet you need them to successfully complete intensive tasks. The Reversal Chair is made precisely for these private spaces. It turns the world of the normal office chair on its head – and that is to be taken literally. With an invisible mechanism and the pull of a small, elegant strap, the chair with backrest transforms into a kneeling chair.

Interview with Juri Roemmel

The chair concept was developed during research work at the ECAL (école cantonale d’art de Lausanne) in Lausanne and was further developed together with Tecta after graduation. A chameleon, sometimes with a backrest, sometimes designed as a kneeling chair, that gives its user posture and ensures better blood circulation and breathing. How does it work? In the kneeling chair, the angle between the leg and body is greater, so that the sitting position can develop in an upright and back-friendly way and the body is better supplied with blood.

“I would consider it a tool for sitting,” emphasises Juri Roemmel. However, it is a tool that elegantly conceals the technical components. The sturdy fittings are recessed under the comfortable seat cushion, and the chair’s tilt point is achieved via a pivot axis. It is no coincidence that the furniture appears graphic and linear. Before Juri Roemmel studied industrial design, the trained graphic designer worked with symbols and lettering. What characterises his design today? “I often look for a form that is defined either by the material, the process or the use,” he answers, “I provide guidelines and leave room for things to develop independently.” The new Reversal Chair will also quickly take on a life of its own – as a dynamic companion on working days or a sought-after seating candidate at social gatherings.

Product info
Dimensions

Juri Roemmel was born in St.Gallen, Switzerland, in 1993 and completed an apprenticeship as a graphic designer in St.Gallen in 2014. He then decided to study at the ECAL in Lausanne, where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design with honours in 2021. He has been running his own studio in St.Gallen since 2022.

Safety instructions: 
Please familiarise yourself carefully with the tilting movements of the Reversal Chair and pay attention to your safety. If you shift your weight incorrectly, you might tilt forward. We therefore ask you to exercise caution when children and elderly people use the chair. The design of the Reversal Chair allows a maximum body weight of 100kg. It has been developed for private use.



Operating instructions: The backrest can be folded down by pulling the strap on the Reversal Chair – the backrest converts into a support for your knees. Now enter the chair from the side, keeping your feet firmly on the floor. Take an upright sitting position, carefully shift your weight forward until you reach the tipping point. We hope you enjoy your new sitting experience.