Cato X contract chair. Form of a modular collection

In the spring of 2026 the Cato X contract chair was shown for the first time in its complete configuration. Not a preview and not a variant: the definitive version of a project introduced one year earlier and now released with all colour and structural options as a coherent system.

Cato X is the evolution of the original, the upholstered chair that has become one of the most specified products in the Fornasarig catalogue and a recurring choice for interior designers worldwide. From the original Cato the new chair inherits its proportions, its quiet profile and a precise sensibility towards materials. From the original Cato it departs by introducing a new generation polyolefin resin shell. Thin and load-bearing the shell extends the working range of the collection without altering its grammar.

The original Cato is an upholstered chair recognisable by the horizontal line stitching of its cover and by the integration between frame and shell. Cato X starts from that drawing and redefines its construction. The line stitching gives way to an ergonomic seat structurally independent from the shell and available in three different materials. Continuity with the original Cato lies therefore in the profile. The difference is in the system.

This is not a cosmetic shift. A structural shell in polyolefin resin combined with a separate seat and interchangeable bases enables one decisive feature: modularity. From modularity follow the choices of sustainability, logistics and customisation that define this product and the broader Fornasarig approach.

The shell is the technical core of the project. Engineered in reinforced polyolefin resin it overcomes the comfort limits typical of monobloc plastic solutions. It is thin where it should be and structured where it must be supporting posture without relying on mass. Its visual presence is restrained and it dialogues with adjacent materials rather than imposing itself.

Six tones are available for the shell: white, black, grey, grey beige, blue grey and coral red. Each is designed to coordinate with the seat whether in tonal harmony or in deliberate contrast.

The configurative logic of Cato X contract chair runs along two independent axes. Components can be purchased disassembled and this gives distributors, retailers and contract chains the freedom to compose each chair according to project requirements while optimising transport volume. Seat and base are selected separately and every combination produces a coherent, calibrated, legible chair.

Three seat options have been designed to cover the full range of contract environments. Each speaks a different language while keeping the same proportions.

The polyolefin seat is available in eight colours: white, black, grey, grey beige, blue grey, coral red, dark yellow and olive green. It is the most direct version and it suits the projects where the plastic should disappear behind the colour and let the profile emerge.

The wooden seat available in oak or stained walnut brings the warmth of natural material into the resin shell. It is the most dialogical option because the wood of the seat can coordinate with the wood of the base or build a measured contrast with the metal finishes offering a compositional freedom rarely found in contract products.

The upholstered seat is the answer to projects requiring extended comfort. It can be customised with fabrics, leathers and other coverings from the Fornasarig price list.

If the seats define the character of the chair the four bases determine its end use. Each base works with all three seats keeping the system fully consistent.

• The wooden base available in natural oak or stained walnut develops the continuity with the Fornasarig craft tradition and is the warmest, most residential option. It is not stackable.
• The trestle base draws directly from the standard Cato ensuring visual coherence between the two families. For projects that specify both products in the same environment this base preserves a unified language while opening the new configurative possibilities of Cato X. It is not stackable.
• The four-leg metal base available in white, black or chrome is the most versatile of the set. Practical and stackable it combines visual lightness with operational ease.
• The sled base is the option that pushes the contract logic of the chair the furthest. Available in black, white or chrome it allows stacking up to 40 units: a remarkable figure for this product category where market standards usually stop around 25.

The modularity of Cato X contract chair is not a formal exercise. It is the condition that allows the product to meet the eco-design criteria increasingly required by structured projects and to express the Fornasarig ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility.

Components can be shipped disassembled optimising transport volume. The seat which is the part most subject to wear is removable and replaceable: a single component can be shipped and replaced without intervention on the rest of the chair extending the product lifecycle and reducing logistical costs for the client. The absence of welded components allows materials to be separated at end of life making Cato X close to fully recyclable.

Production is entirely carried out at the Fornasarig facility in Manzano with a 10-year warranty and Catas-certified testing under EN 1728 and ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 standards.

These choices reflect a precise idea of what long-lasting contract design means. It is not measured only in years of warranty. It is measured in the product’s capacity to remain upgradable, repairable and separable to the very end.

Cato X contract chair is designed, manufactured and tested for intensive contract use. The combination of polyolefin shell and removable seat makes it particularly suited to hotels, restaurants, conference rooms, corporate environments, educational and civic spaces where seating must absorb daily use without losing its appearance.

The stacking capacity of the sled base makes Cato X particularly well suited to multifunctional spaces where the same room changes function several times during the day.

This is, simply, Cato X.