philippe Starck is regarded as the leading French figure in the area of New Design in the eighties. He has achieved an international reputation and creates designs for leading companies worldwide. Starck is fascinated by the efficiency of modern production methods which allow the manufacture of low-cost articles, and he sometimes even demands the right to determine pricing with the manufacturer. Since the end of the eighties he has combined tubular steel with plastic. The “Dr. Glob” series of chairs, which he designed for the Italian manufacturer Kartell in 1988, involves an interplay of contrasts in material and shape. The continuous angular front legs and seat made of pastel-colored plastic developed by swaging are complemented by black- or silver-lacquered round back legs which rise up to a curved back section. The contrast in materials is also a main feature of the stackable “Louis 20” chair. Here, the voluminous hollow front legs, the seat with the characteristic Starck front curve, and the springy back section are blown from a single piece of polypropylene. The frame of the back legs is sturdily joined with an oversized fixing plate to the hollow plastic body so that the chair can be tilted on its back legs without any damage. Its subtle color scheme combined with the brilliance of the polished aluminum make this chair just as popular in private as in public spaces, and it is also suitable for outdoors. It can be easily dismantled into recyclable elements in only a few seconds by loosening the screws on the armrests and the attachment plate of the back legs. Starck ironically named the chair “Louis 20,” poking fun at the French royal tradition of distinguishing kings of the same name by numbering them from IV to XVIII, including Louis XIV, the “Sun King,” and of identifying styles during their respective reigns the same way. PD