The PolarisGo Limited-Edition Chair Is Out of This World

An ode to the iconic Go Chair by Ross Lovegrove for Bernhardt Design, launched in 2001, the limited-edition PolarisGo Chair revitalizes the innovative nature of the original by utilizing cutting-edge injected magnesium technology to form the unique vertices of the futuristic chair, inspired by data from the 2024 Polaris Dawn mission. Half of the proceeds of this project will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, making this an innovation of science, art, and philanthropy.

A sleek, modern metallic chair with a curved back and armrests, featuring circular cutouts. The chair has a minimalist design and stands on four slender legs.

The original Go Chair was revolutionary in process, the first of its kind to use an injected magnesium core to create a smooth, seamless finish. Vertices determined by aerodynamic calculation, the chair’s soft satin finish is reminiscent of American cars, seemingly ready to take off at any moment. When the prototype clocked in at 28 pounds, the decision to use magnesium, the lightest structural metal, came into play. The magnesium frame, paired with the polycarbonate plastic seat, made for a lightweight, yet visually striking design that’s been recognized by various museums around the world. The iconic design can also be spotted in Science Fiction films, including Passengers, thanks to it’s skeletal, futuristic silhouette.

A modern, metallic PolarisGo chair with a sleek, curved design, open backrest, and cut-out details, displayed against a plain white background.

A modern, metallic PolarisGo chair with a curved, lightweight design and cut-out details, shown against a plain background.

Lovegrove partnered with CreativeWorkStudios and went back to the drawing board to create a new, limited-edition version of the original design with a space-inspired update. Utilizing and translating shockwave data recorded from the rocket launch, the designer created an advanced aerospace-grade aluminum alloy seat insert. The new seat not only added visual interest to the original chair, but brought a human element to its highly sophisticated geometry, blending cosmic and corporeal values. Radiating as a frequency from the four corners, the seat’s wave pattern represents the four astronauts merging into one to finish out the space mission “as a fusion of humanity and life itself as the ultimate force of nature.”

A modern PolarisGo metallic chair with a curved backrest and sleek, sculptural design, photographed against a plain white background.

A modern, metallic PolarisGo chair with a perforated seat and an oval cutout in the backrest, set against a plain white background.

A modern silver PolarisGo chair with a curved backrest and thin legs, viewed directly from the front against a plain light background.

Futuristic metallic chair with a perforated seat and a sleek, curved backrest design.

With only 210 pieces existing worldwide, this rare release sets a new standard for the intersections of philanthropy and design, by nature scarce yet precious, much like the delicate balance of resources on which we as a species depend. One might find it hard to look upon our planet from above and continue to believe in our perceived differences.

Futuristic-style silver chair with a sleek design, featuring curved armrests and a perforated seat pattern.

Elderly man with a beard and glasses, seated at a table, writes on a digital tablet with a stylus in a softly lit room.

Ross Lovegrove

The photograph shows Earth from space, with a curved horizon and scattered clouds, seen through a round spacecraft window.

Photo: Jared Isaacman

The Polaris Dawn mission is the first of at least three missions backed by billionaire Jacob Issacman, founder of Shift4, aiming to study the effects of space flight and space radiation on human health. This comes directly after the first civilian spaceflight Inspiration4, which raised awareness and over $240 million for St. Jude’s as well as mark a new milestone for human space exploration. Jared Isaacman, Kidd Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon spent five days in space, achieving the highest Earth orbit ever flown at a peak of 1,408.1 kilometers. Notably, the crew completed the first-ever commercial extravehicular activity (EVA) with SpaceX-designed extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuits, upgraded from the current intravehicular (IVA) suit.