Andreu World’s Manila has a timeless design, proving to be just as popular now as when it launched 20 years ago. The Manila collection, which includes chairs, armchairs, lounge chairs and stools, evokes a sense of grandeur and serenity.

Lievore Altherr Molina designed the Manila chair, which debuted in 1999. Its classical design language – with straight lines and strong forms – adapts to many contexts and offers enduring elegance and comfort. Made of solid beech or oak, the chairs and stools have quilted upholstery seats, and an upholstered or wicker backrest and sides.

The Manila chairs feature in Melissa Collison’s design of Saké Flinders Lane, inspired by the Japanese obsession with Western culture in the 1970s. “For Japan this was a period of economic growth and of trying to look and be all things Western. A time of big men, big deals and dark bars,” says Melissa. The Manila chair is right at home in the interior, which has a rich palette of grass cloth, textured tiles, honed marble, teak veneers, blackened oak, cream leather and bronze mirrors. Red neon punctuates the stairs and is picked up in the upholstered cushions of the wicker-back Manila chairs, alternating with black beneath the long tables.

The Manila chairs also feature in chef Luke Mangan’s Glass Brasserie on level two of Sydney Hilton. The 240-seat restaurant has a 13-metre floor-to-ceiling glass wall offering views of the Queen Victoria Building, and the interior of the restaurant was updated in 2018 to create a lighter and brighter space. The black Manila chairs with tan leather seats contrast with the white tablecloths and light-coloured upholstery of the booths and banquettes, while Manila bar stools are timeless and modern around the high bar tables.

You’ll also find the Manila chairs in Collins Kitchen at Grand Hyatt Melbourne and Reserve Bank of Australia in Martin’s Place, Sydney.

For more information about the Manila collection, drop by the KE-ZU showroom at Alexandria or view the products online. Or pop by one of the featured projects to try them out first hand.