Mr. Impossible Chair

By Scott Tavener

ike Santa Claus on Christmas, Philippe Strack is ubiquitous. Traipsing about the world, reinvigorating stalwart restaurants, furnishing posh lounges, and dominating design awards, he is the marquee name in haute crafting. He continues his design dynasty with a deceptively complex chair: Mr. Impossible (an apposite name considering Starck's breadth).

Photographs don't do Mr. Impossible justice. Yes, it is a plastic chair that comes in a variety of wine gum colours (i.e. purple, red, white, yellow, green, etc.). And yes it, like myriad other lightweight chairs, stacks for convenience. However, unlike its polypropylene, posterior-welcoming brethren, Mr. Impossible exudes a subtle strength and, more importantly, benefits from a revolutionary construction method.

Crafted by Italian firm, Kartell, Mr. Impossible is essentially two pieces that are inextricably linked by…wait for it…a laser. Mr. Impossible marked the first time that Kartell used this revolutionary new technology to create seating.

Debuting last year, Mr. Impossible is now finally available to the public. As with any Starck piece, this seat does not come cheap. It retails at just under $500 per chair. Since it's stackable, you're going to need more than one. The tag may seem high, but you're paying for the Starck name, the Kartell quality of plastic, the moniker (how many of your current chairs have a superhero name?), and the alluring bi-polar aesthetic (it's translucent but colourful). Oh, and the lasers. Incidentally, it's about time that lasers did something more useful than giving sight and killing Jedi.