Giroflex and Martin Stoll: Swiss engineering, German design

Some chairs look as if an engineer and a designer sat down at the same table. The Giroflex chairs by Martin Stoll are exactly that kind of piece.

Two names, one family history

Giroflex is a Swiss maker of office and lounge seating. Martin Stoll worked as a designer for Giroflex in the 1970s. Thanks to the shared Stoll family history and an exchange of patents, the two brands came together on models that remain much admired today.

The Stoll family patented the first sprung swivel office chair in 1926. That engineering heritage is visible in the chairs we restore.

How the chairs are built

The pair we restored stands on a massive five-star base in polished aluminium that gives full stability and a 360° swivel. The seat and high back are upholstered in leather, and the metal armrests carry leather pads.

The look is modernist with a touch of high-tech: open metal is not hidden but made into the design.

A modular option

Giroflex and Martin Stoll also produced modular seating that lines up several chairs into one system. Sets like this are made for waiting areas, offices and generous living rooms.

Restoring metal and leather

On chairs like these we check the swivel mechanism, polish the aluminium and renew or care for the leather, keeping the patina where it is healthy.

If you own a Giroflex or similar chair that needs attention, send us photos and we will tell you what can be done.