Tubular Lounge Chair by Erich Dieckmann

Erich Dieckmann. Armchair, past 1931. H. 64 x 60 x 90 cm. Made by Cebaso, Ohrdruf (attributed). Nickel-plated tubular steel, stained beech, black fabric.

Dieckmann is among the most important designers of the Bauhaus and his tubular steel furniture takes a special position in the context of European tubular steel design of the pre-war era. “The fundamental construction principle of this design follows the closed ‘Two line’ system. Seat – backframe and pedestal have been built of a closed line each.” Cf. exhib. cat. Erich Dieckmann, Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, 1990, S. 107, pl. 29 and p.177.

Fabric discoloured. Original iron yarn fabric existing. The model had been manufactured by Metz & Co. in the 1930s too. Both executions differentiate only marginally.

For sale at Quittenbaum estimated at € 12000 – 15000, but withheld.

Rocking Chair by Ron Arad

Rocking Chair by Ron Arad

In 2009 I visited the impressive solo exhibition of Ron Arad in the Centre Pompidou in Paris. I made many photo’s, but not until this year I found some time to prepare them for use on this blog.

The Rocking Chair, lacking the curved feet of traditional rockers, relies on its name to indicate its function. Made of bent tubular steel, it creates a different, somewhat scissor-like rocking movement. It was this mechanical idea, rather than an aesthetic quality, that Arad intended as the meaning of the chair, and he has indeed denied that it is at all stylish. This chair holds special significance as his first proper work of design—or, rather, the first time he was aware that he was designing. It signals his earliest venture beyond the readymade and toward design that did not rely on salvaged or repurposed materials. The final version of the Rocking Chair is sleeker than the original, which was conceived as another Kee Klamp construction (and determined too risky for unsuspecting fingers). One Off made several hundred of these chairs.

Text: MoMa

Merry Christmas

Christmas tree of chairs
We whish all our readers a Merry Christmas with this Christmas tree of chairs that a friend jus sent me. The photo is by Nils Sager and the location Amman-Hofer-Platz in Interlaken, Switserland.

Very eco conscious a Christmas tree of chairs, as there are too many chairs in the world already and each and every day more chairs are produced and there are not trees enough around.

construction of the Christmas tree of chairs

2017 is the third year the Chair Christmas tree being construed in Interlaken. The installation is an idea of Barbara Kiener of the Kulturgarage. First they erect a steel construction like the ones used for real Christmastrees…however they fill it with tons of pebbles to keep the structure stable enough for a tree of 6 meter hight and 3 meter wide.

Source: Jungfrauzeitung 2015 and 2016

Matrizia by Ron Arad

Matrizia by Ron Arad

One of the newer designs by Ron for Moroso (2015).

Matrizia is instead a sofa-sculpture, an upholstered furniture item which acts as the ideal midway point between design skill and craft talent.

The idea came about by accident, after seeing mattresses dumped in the street when walking in town, a sight which captured the boundless imagination of Ron Arad and triggered an imaginary operation of salvage and decontextualisation.

Matrizia was thus born by modelling and recovering a mattress so as to create a comfortable and innovative seat, while the name is a witty combination of the word “mattress” with “Patrizia”

Via Ron Arad . Com

Corques – Cork Sofa and Armchair by Lucie Koldova – 2018 IMM Cologne 01


Corques – Cork Sofa and Armchair by Lucie Koldova

I’m planning to visit IMM Cologne again after two years of absence, while last year I visited Maison et Object in Paris instead of IMM. And nice to find out that the designer who will decorate The House (Das Haus) on invitation of the organizing trade show, did indeed design a sofa and a chair for the Belgian manufacturer Per/Use:

A large-scale object to serve as the centrepiece of the interior. It was a fascinating experience to sculpt an object out of a soft textured material. The subtle yet robust form and the combination of natural Portuguese cork and strawberry-red cushions is my personal visual statement.

Text: Lucie Koldova