This is 99% invisible. I'm Roman Mars.

A chair is a difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier.

Those are the words of Meese Vanduro, one of many architects who have also designed chairs.

Eames, Gerey, Adeed, Leibeskind, Kobusier, Breyer.

If they've designed a big building, chances are they've designed a thing on which to sit.

And this makes sense that chairs would be signature design pieces for architects, because chairs

are almost like teeny tiny buildings for one person

producer Avery Truffelman.

And of course it's not just architects.

Designers of all stripes have this love affair with chairs.

Well I think every designer really would love to design a chair.

I mean, there's so many interesting things about chairs.

This is designer Bruce Hanna.

I'm a teacher at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York and designed things for

null for years. Including plenty of chairs for the office, for the home, everything.

Chairs exist. They kind of are like placeholders for human beings.

You know, you go into a restaurant that's empty and there's all these little placeholders, you know.

Yet when the people sit in the chair, it disappears.

The person replaces the chair.

And so there's this distinct challenge for chair designers to make this thing look fantastic

when empty and remain comfortably invisible when in use.

And Hannah's pursuit of seating innovation actually led to something else.

...