Emeco Hudson Armchair / Aluminium Polished - By Philippe Starck

Emeco Hudson Polished Armchair made in USA from recycled aluminium material. Designed by French designer, Philippe Starck for the Hudson Hotel in New York City. Starck described the chair as “washing the details from the Navy chair”.

Each Hudson armchair is hand polished for up to eight hours. This gives each Hudson armchair a unique appearance and will have a slight variation of handcraft. An instant classic the Hudson armchair is a permanent part of the Museum of Modern Art collection.

There is no coating on a Hudson polished armchair and it will begin to patina immediately upon use. Polished aluminium is non-corrosive and will not tarnish. To keep the shiny appearance on the polished Hudson armchair simply use an ordinary car wax. It is advisable not to use abrasive cleansers, pads or brushes on polished aluminium, to keep its bright appearance.

The Hudson armchairs and stools are made by hand. Each piece is unique with subtle differences.

The Hudson armchair is also available in a brushed version & listed in our outdoor furniture category.

Hudson Polished Armchair Dimensions

- width: 39 cm
- depth: 50 cm
- seat height: 46 cm
- height: 85 cm

FREE mainland UK delivery

Emeco + Philippe Starck: The Story

Philippe Starck was one of the first designers to take the Navy chair out of its original context and place it into modern design-focused settings. Emeco's Gregg Buchbinder was in the audience at a speech Philippe Starck gave at ICFF in New York in 1999. Later in the hallway Gregg saw Starck and said, “Mr. Starck, thank you for using our chairs at the Paramount Hotel.” After thinking a moment, Starck asked, “The Navy Chair? Do you own the company? I’d like to design a chair for Emeco.” Thus began a close, lasting and prolific relationship between Emeco and Philippe Starck - a relationship that launched Emeco's transformation from a U.S. Navy supplier into one of the top design furniture brands.

The Hudson Chair by Philippe Starck, created for the Hudson Hotel NYC, was the first new design for Emeco in more than 50 years. Starck had the Emeco craftsmen learn a new skill - hand polishing. Starck continued designing for Emeco and created the Emeco Stool, Kong Chair, Heritage Stacking Chair, and Icon Chair. In 2012 Emeco and Starck collaborated on the Broom Chair, which is made of 90% reclaimed industrial waste.

“Working with Emeco has allowed me to use a recycled material and transform it into something that never needs to be discarded - a tireless and unbreakable chair to use and enjoy for a lifetime” - Philippe Starck

Details about Brushed Aluminium

The anodising process changes the aluminium surface to aluminium oxide, a super-strong material.

Anodised aluminium is corrosion-proof and can be used outdoors and of course inside. However, the manufacturer Emeco, suggests to clean the chair using soap and water every 2 weeks in order to remove grit and other air pollutants that can pit the surface.