Pop 40 – Following the Rules of Ergonomics

Polish company IKER has a high the preoccupation for ergonomics. Their Pop System embodies proper body alignment while using light materials and modern forms. In particular, the Pop 40 (not to be confused with Top 40, though perhaps equal in popularity) is a great example of IKER’s body-conscious proportions.

At 31.5”W x 31.5”D x 29.5”H, the Pop 40 is comfortable and functional—and it swivels. We simply have to admit, there is nothing quite like a swivel chair. It’s the perfect chair for people with small spaces and for those with great rooms; it’s also the perfect chair for indecisive people and for people with a penchant for rearranging furniture.

The metal frame features a rotating base (the locus of the swivel) on four legs from which the chair itself seems to rise in a subtle undulation—it reminds me of a calla lily. The top of Pop 40 rises to hug the head, therefore keeping the neck in good alignment. Since Pop 40 can be upholstered in leather, Alcantara, or premium fabrics, it can go from office to living room, satisfying everyone. Alcantara, by the way, is the original composite fabric invented by the Japanese scientist Miyoshi Okamoto in the 1970s (not to be confused with the regular ultrasuede). As I see it, the Pop 40 might be the new Director’s Chair—the high back lending an air of authority. IKER claims that design “comments on cultural events” . I think the Pop 40 is commenting on the dearth of good films nowadays, waiting to be inhabited by the next great mind.