Ron Arad: the scrapyard chair that made me a designer

This chair made me a designer
When I graduated as an architect in 1979, I attempted to work for a practice in Hampstead in London. It didn’t take me long to realise that I wasn’t cut out to work for other people. So one lunchtime I went to a scrapyard rather than going back to the office. I wanted to choose a car seat to convert into a piece of furniture. The first one I found was this red Rover 2000 seat. I liked the leather, the handle, the action of the spring at the back: it was perfect. That was before I even knew I was a designer. The piece became an amazing success, and it sucked me into the world of furniture. This is the original that I’ve had at home for many years. My daughters have jumped on it and my cats have slept on it. It’s getting old and I could restore it, but I quite like it with the gaffa tape. It shows its age.