Who is Studio 7.5 and what is their role in designing the Mirra 2?

Studio 7.5 is a Berlin-based industrial design firm whose founders include Burkhard Schmitz and Carola Zwick. They collaborated with Herman Miller to design the original Mirra chair and its later iterations, including the Mirra 2. Their design philosophy emphasises performance, sustainability, tactile prototyping, and iterative refinements.

How has Mirra 2 evolved from the original Mirra chair design?

Mirra 2 is the result of two major overhauls since the original Mirra. Studio 7.5 refined designs over the decades, using smarter engineering and higher-quality materials, with each version enhancing performance and sustainability while remaining true to the original shape.

What sustainability improvements have been made in the Mirra 2 design story by 2024?

By 2024, the Mirra 2’s design has been improved so that its nylon base and spine are made entirely from 100% recycled material. This change significantly reduces the chair’s carbon footprint. The design story emphasises that environmental responsibility has been a core part of Mirra’s DNA since 2003.

What design approach did Studio 7.5 take when creating Mirra 2?

Studio 7.5 used an iterative design process that relies heavily on full-scale prototypes rather than just digital modelling. Each component was tested hands-on and refined based on real-world use, focusing on maintaining an athletic feel, intuitive adjustments, and improved performance without compromising the chair’s essential form.

What does ‘dematerialisation’ mean in Mirra 2’s design story?

In the context of Mirra 2, ‘dematerialisation’ refers to reducing material usage while maintaining strength, durability, and ergonomic support. The design aimed to use fewer materials more intelligently, making the chair lighter (about 30% lighter than the original) while preserving its core performance.

Design Story: Mirra 2 by Studio 7.5

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Over the past two decades since the original launch of the Mirra Chair, Studio 7.5 has revisited and refined their design on two separate occasions. Each update brought smarter engineering, using higher-quality materials in smaller quantities—always maintaining, and often improving, the chair’s overall performance. Guided by the belief that the human body is made for movement, the team focused on creating a chair that not only supports motion but actively responds to it, offering dynamic support that adapts as you shift and move throughout the day.

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Iterative Design Process

The original Mirra was designed as a personalised work chair to support increasingly agile ways of working. As this need grew, Studio 7.5 remained focused on evolving the chair to match. Staying true to their tactile design approach, they tested every element through full-scale prototypes rather than relying solely on digital models. Each part was refined through hands-on experimentation to reach the most effective solution. Throughout, they preserved the chair’s athletic feel and intuitive adjustments while improving its performance and sustainability—without altering its essential form.

The current Mirra 2 represents the second major overhaul since the Mirra was released to the public.

Mirra 2 Specifications

An Environmentally Conscious Approach

When it debuted in 2003, the Mirra Chair marked a significant milestone as Herman Miller’s first office chair developed in line with Design for the Environment (DfE) standards. These principles were shaped in collaboration with global sustainability experts at McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), the minds behind the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program. This forward-thinking approach embedded environmental responsibility into the chair’s DNA from the outset—and that commitment has only deepened over time.

A decade later, in 2013, Herman Miller and Berlin-based design firm Studio 7.5 collaborated again to launch the Mirra 2 with a sharp focus on dematerialisation, embracing the ethos that “every molecule counts.” Through rigorous engineering and thoughtful material choices, they achieved a sleeker, lighter version of the original—reducing its weight by 30 percent while maintaining strength, durability, and ergonomic performance.

Continuing this evolution, 2024 saw a further step forward in sustainability. The chair’s nylon base and spine were updated to be made entirely from 100% recycled material, significantly cutting the product’s carbon footprint and reinforcing Herman Miller’s long-term goal to design out waste and reduce reliance on virgin plastics. Mirra 2 remains a standout example of design that adapts—not only to the way we work but to the needs of the planet.

Berlin's Studio 7.5

Studio 7.5 are passionate about designing what they refer to not simply as furniture, but as “equipment”—tools that support the way people work. Of all the products they create, they find designing office chairs the most fulfilling. Over the years, they’ve partnered with Herman Miller to produce several award-winning designs, including the Setu, Mirra, Mirra 2, and more recently, the Cosm chair. “We define not only how the chair looks but how it performs,” says studio founder Carola Zwick. Each of these chairs is designed to offer comfort regardless of how—or where—you sit.

As the designers put it, “Our goal is to enable people to assume roles similar to that of a craftsperson in their shop, surrounded by what he or she needs to be most productive.”

Office Chairs UK: Official Suppliers of the Mirra 2

The innovative Mirra 2 is available from Office Chairs UK, along with Studio 7.5’s other creations, the Setu & Cosm. Order your new chair from us today.