S-73 (Sofa Compact)

Directed by Charles Eames

This film traces the design development of the Eames Sofa Compact, which folds for easy flat-pack shipping. The film, one of the first Charles and Ray made for Herman Miller, starts in a rail yard, where we discover that volume is more expensive than weight. This fact led to the Eames’s firm resolve to flat pack their sofa. The film highlights the ease of unpacking and setting up the sofa, as well as the sofa’s comfort and practicality with regard to the life of service.