In the 1930s, Eero Saarinen created a range of organically-shaped plywood chairs. These went on to win the MoMA-sponsored 1940 Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition. This work inspired Saarinen to design a chair that would provide exceptional comfort from its shell alone, and not just from the furnishing. His luxurious and sculptural Executive Side Chair and the matching Executive Armchair were the results. The design won the 1969 Museum of Modern Art Award and the West Germany Federal Award for Industrial Design.