Polder XS Sofa from Hella Jongerius

With typical quiet irony Hella Jongerius named her new sofa for Vitra ‘Polder’, in reference to the tracts of land reclaimed from the sea in Holland by creating dikes and drainage ditches. With an emphasis on the horizontal, the elongated form of this asymmetrically arranged sofa is similarly low and flat, consisting of a wooden frame cushioned with upholstered polyurethane foam. This ‘platform’ holds four voluminous, elongated cushions which are securely positioned in a depression in the frame to form the seat.

The backrest is a specifically developed chambered bolster with additional back cushions in a variety of forms. There is an armrest at one end of the sofa and at the other end an area for a removable weighted cushion. This creates a versatile area that can be used for additional seating or as a surface for magazines, books, trays and the like. In addition to the XL and XXL versions (2930 mm and 3330 mm respectively) a new XS size is now available. At 2260 mm this latest addition to the family has all the same features within a more compact frame.

The cushions and carcass of Polder are each upholstered with different fabrics in six carefully co-ordinated colours. The mixture of colours and textures is designed to accentuate the asymmetry of the sofa. Colour options are green, red and anthracite with clearly defined shades and fabric qualities. Jongerius paid special attention to the conspicuously large decorative buttons on the cushions, an unmistakably characteristic of the Polder sofa.

Made of exotic natural materials like buffalo horn, olivewood, bamboo, and mother of pearl, the buttons feature a number of holes that have been bored in an irregular, seemingly random pattern. Sewn to the exchangeable covers with a distinctive wide cross-stitch, these buttons lend the cushions a very unique appearance. By choosing brightly coloured, modern thread to secure the buttons, Jongerius creates a contrast of colours and materials that further enhances the distinctiveness of this design feature.

The new Polder XS will be in selected Vitra retailers from 1st April.