Vive La Vitra

To design fans, Vitra is synonymous with well-designed furniture. But Nora Fehlbaum, its CEO and the granddaughter of founders Erika and Willi Fehlbaum, is well aware that everyday folks may not know the Swiss brand.

She hopes to change that for Singaporeans with the travelling exhibition Project Vitra - Design, Architecture, Communications (1950-2007), which tells the story of her family business. The exhibition is split into six categories including the display of classic furniture pieces as well as modern designs. Ms Fehlbaum says that the appeal of Vitra's furniture is how the same piece of furniture can fit into different settings - from the home, to the office, to retail and public spaces.

Here are six well-known Vitra pieces to look out for.

Panton Chair Classic by Verner Panton

Created by Danish designer Verner Panton, the Panton chair is an iconic classic and one of the most copied chairs in the world. Panton is considered one of the most influential designers in the 20th century. Along with his experimental approach to forms and colours, he was captivated by the potential of plastic, a novel material at the time. His aim was to create a comfortable chair made in one piece that could be used anywhere.

Fauteuil de Salon by Jean Prouvé

First launched in 1939, the Fauteuil de Salon would fit perfectly into today's home. Fauteuil de Salon joins simple planes into a unified architectural object with a comfortable seat surface and backrest. Rediscovered in the archives of the French engineer Jean Prouvé, the armchair has been updated in a contemporary colour palette. With oiled, solid wood armrests and the designer's characteristic structural aesthetic, the Fauteuil de Salon can be ideally combined with other pieces in the Prouvé Collection.

Noguchi Coffee Table by Isamu Noguchi

Japanese-American Isamu Noguchi was considered one of the 20th century's most important and critically acclaimed sculptors. He also dabbled in gardens, furniture, and architecture. After six decades of creative work, Noguchi considered the eponymous table his only furniture success. The design consists of only three elements - two wooden leg elements, which are available in black ash, maple or walnut, are positioned at a right angle to provide a stable support for the heavy, sturdy glass top.

Vegetal by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

French brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec wanted to create a chair that aspires to look like natural vegetation while simultaneously incorporating the necessary strength, stability and comfort. They worked with Vitra for four years on this, and the result is Vegetal, made using injection-moulding technology. The flat, branch-like ribs are asymmetrically intertwined on three levels to form the seat shell, which is shaped as an irregular circle and supported by four legs that appear to sprout from the ground.

East River Chair by Hella Jongerius

Dutch designer Hella Jongerius' products are a blend of industry and craft, high and low-tech, traditional and modern. The East River chair is no exception with its distinctive form and casual combination of such diverse materials as wood, metal, leather and fabric. Depending on the colour combinations, the chair can look muted or cheerful. The leather covers protect the armrests from dirt and wear and the thicker padding of the seat cushion extends into the backrest, offering lumbar support.

Grand Repos & Ottoman by Antonio Citterio

The Grand Repos by Italian designer Antonio Citterio introduces a new level of comfort and flexibility to the home environment: with its generous padding, inviting armrests and high backrest. The synchronised mechanism concealed beneath the upholstery allows users to move from an upright posture to a reclined angle for resting and lock the backrest in any position. The resistance of the backrest can be manually adjusted to the user's weight, ensuring comfort and spinal support across the entire range of movement.

Project Vitra - Design, Architecture, Communications (1950-2017) is on till July 13, at National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road.