Header: Courtesy of Thonet
The S 760 is a stacking chair with a moulded plywood seat and two tubular steel legs, made especially for the large seating layouts of event, conference and training venues and to be easily stored away in stacks of up to 20. It was designed by Uwe Sommerlade for Thonet, a German company that has been making furniture since 1819, and was unveiled at Orgatec 2026, a workplace furniture fair held in Cologne in late October.
The shell and the legs
The seat and the backrest are made of a single shell of moulded beech plywood, which is made of thin layers of wood glued together and pressed into a curve. At the front, the shell curves downwards and the chair gives slightly when someone sits on it, keeping it comfortable during longer events. For even more comfort, Thonet also offers several upholstered versions and a higher backrest.
Under the shell, the frame is made of two pieces of tubular steel, each one bent to form a front and a back leg, in what Thonet calls an A-frame. The legs were angled so that they do not get in the way of people walking between the rows, and they come in either chrome or a black powder coating. According to Thonet, the finish resists scratches and corrosion and is easy to clean.
Stacking up to 20 chairs
The shell and the legs are connected by plastic brackets that hide the screws and bolts and protect the chair from the damage of being stacked and unstacked over and over again. Each bracket has a groove that centres the next chair automatically as it is placed on top, so up to 20 chairs can be stacked without the risk of falling over.
To move them, Thonet added two trolleys to the range, the S 7608 and the S 7609, both fitted with castors and a locking mechanism, with the latter also having a handle. As for the feet, they are fitted with gliders covered in either Teflon-coated plastic or felt, so the chairs can be moved quietly and without marking delicate floors.
Rows for large halls
In Germany, the regulations for assembly venues demand that chairs set out temporarily in rows be firmly linked to one another, and that every seat be at least 50 cm wide. The S 760 can, therefore, be ordered with a small linking part fitted to the bracket, which joins one chair to the next without tools or extra pieces. Thonet calls it an anti-panic system, as it keeps the rows together in an emergency.
The chair is available with or without armrests, and since both versions measure 53 cm from the centre of one chair to the centre of the next, they can be mixed in the same row or the same stack. The armrests are covered in elastomer, a rubber-like material that is soft to the touch, easy to clean and replaceable, in the same colour as the plastic brackets.
Extra elements that can be included in the purchase are seat numbers, row numbers that clip on and a writing tablet that folds out. The tablet can be mounted on any model without tools, and it does not need to be removed when the chairs are stacked or linked. For public venues, Thonet also offers flame-retardant coverings that meet standard fire safety requirements.
Repairs and custom orders
The chair can be taken apart so a damaged part can be replaced without getting rid of the entire piece, which, per Sommerlade, made the S 760 a product that is as easy as possible to refurbish. As a final touch, Thonet accepts custom orders for projects with requirements beyond the standard options: the frame can be widened, the shape of the shell can be modified, a grip hole can be added to make the chair easier to position and the legs can be finished in custom colours.
Project information
Design Company: Thonet
Lead Designer: Uwe Sommerlade
Location: Frankenberg, Germany
Date: 2026
