Eero Saarinen: Objects And Furniture Design, By Architects (Objects & Furniture Design by Architects)

A closer look at Eero Saarinen's 'styleless' furniture, whose broad range has become iconic of the twentieth century Besides an introductory essay, each title in the By Architects series is compiled by key modern architects through sketches, drawings, photos of the original productions, and ambient shootings A design-orientated book for a design-orientated series, Eileen Gray boasts an innovative layout and a special binding Born in Finland, Eero Saarinen (1910-1961) emigrated at the age of thirteen to the United States of America in 1923. He grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he took courses in sculpture and furniture design, established a close relationship with fellow students Charles and Ray Eames, and also became good friends with Florence Knoll (then Schust). Criticised in his own time for having no identifiable style, Saarinen developed a remarkable range of work, which depended on colour, form and materials. Saarinen showed a marked dependence on innovative structures and sculptural forms, but not at the cost of pragmatic considerations. He moved back and forth freely between the International Style and Expressionism, utilising a vocabulary of curves and cantilevered forms, some of which have remained in production and became twentieth-century furniture icons. Also available: Alvar Aalto ISBN 9788434311435 Jean Prouvé ISBN 9788434311442 Charles and Ray Eames ISBN 9788434311459 Mies Van Der Rohe ISBN 9788434311824 Arne Jacobsen ISBN 9788434311848 Eileen Gray ISBN 9788434312654 With the new By Architects series, Ediciones Polgrafa launches an innovative project dedicated to showcasing furniture and objects designed by some of the most important architects of the twentieth century. Three titles open this Alvar Aalto , Jean Prouv and Ray and Charles Eames . Best known for their contributions to architecture, furniture design (especially the Eames chair), industrial design, film and photography, Charles and Ray Eames remain among the most renowned American designers of the twentieth century. The couple married in 1941 and moved to California, where they pursued their furniture design in molded plywood. During the war they were commissioned by the U.S. Navy to produce molded plywood splints, stretchers and experimental glider shells. In 1946, Evans Products began producing the Eames' molded plywood furniture. Their iconic molded plywood chair was called "the chair of the century" by the influential architectural critic Esther McCoy. In 1949, Charles and Ray designed and built their own home in Pacific Palisades, their design and imaginative use of materials making this house a mecca for architects and designers internationally. Today it is considered one of the most important postwar residences built anywhere in the world. After the war, the Eames continued to create new furniture designs, such as the Fiberglass Chairs (1950), the famous Lounge Chair and Ottoman (1956), the Time Life stool (1960), the 3473 sofa (1964) and the seating for Dulles and O'Hare airports--a design still in use in lounges around the world today. In the 70s they expanded their operations into cinema, producing many beautiful short films. Charles and Ray received honorary degrees and awards from universities and organizations across the country. The Eames Office still operates today. Despite The Brevity Of His Career, Eero Saarinen (1910-1961) Was One Of The Most Celebrated Architects Of His Time. Born In Finland, He Immigrated To The United States In 1923, Where His Father Was Director Of The Cranbrook Academy Of Art. Here, The Young Saarinen Took Courses In Sculpture And Furniture Design, And Began Close Friendships With Fellow Students Charles And Ray Eames, As Well As Florence Knoll. As A Designer, Saarinen Moved Easily Between The So-called International Style And Expressionism, Utilizing A Vocabulary Of Bold Colors, Curves And Cantilevers; Many Of His Pieces Have Remained In Production, Becoming Twentieth-century Furniture Icons. As An Architect, Saarinen Is Responsible For Some Of The Most Potent Architectural Symbols Of American Identity Including Dulles International Airport In Washington, D.c., And The Gateway Arch In St. Louis. Published In Poligrafa's By Architect Series, This Volume Surveys Saarinen's Life And Career.--publisher's Description. Furniture For Loja And Eliel Saarinen's House -- Furniture For Kingswood School For Girls -- Kleinhans Music Hall -- Furniture For Crow Island School -- Tabernacle Church Of Christ -- Furniture For The Organic Design Competition -- Chair No. 61, Or The Grasshopper Chair -- Antioch College -- Chair No. 70, Or The Womb Chair -- Chair Nos. 71 And 72 -- Furniture For The Women's Dormitory At Drake University -- Furniture For The General Motors Technical Center -- Counters For The Irwin Union Bank And Trust Company -- Mit Chapel -- Series Of Pedestal Furnishings -- Desks, Deere & Company Headquarters -- Twa Terminal. Introduction By Antonio Román ; Edited By Sandra Dachs ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 127). As a young man, Jean Prouvé (1901-1984) longed to become an engineer, but as his family could not afford the requisite training, at 15 he was apprenticed to a master blacksmith in Paris. Prouvé opened his own smithy in Nancy in 1923, and shortly thereafter produced his first furniture made from thin sheet steel. Right away, Prouvé's sparse, geometric aesthetic appealed to avant-garde architects such as Robert Mallet-Stevens and Le Corbusier, who commissioned ironwork from him, and in 1929, invited Prouvé to join the new Union des Artistes Modernes, a group of artists and designers championing the Modernist style. In the early 1940s, due to the scarcity of steel during World War II, Prouvé began working mostly with wood. Besides creating furniture, he also explored designs for pre-fabricated housing, constructing dwellings for the homeless. But by the 1960s, Prouvé's austere style seemed passé, and he fell foul of fashion's whims; as a self-taught designer he was also routinely excluded by the architectural establishment. His reputation may have further suffered from his own appetite for collaboration, which could make his exact role in architectural projects difficult to identify. Happily, this state of affairs changed in the 1990s when Prouvé emerged as an unlikely auction star, as his sensibility chimed again with the activities of contemporary neo-Modernists like Jasper Morrison and Konstantin Grcic. This new monograph in Poligrafa's new series on the furniture and objects designed by the twentieth century's most important architects features drawings and photographs of each featured design As a young man, Jean Prouv (1901-1984) longed to become an engineer, but as his family could not afford the requisite training, at 15 he was apprenticed to a master blacksmith in Paris. Prouv opened his own smithy in Nancy in 1923, and shortly thereafter produced his first furniture made from thin sheet steel. Right away, Prouv's sparse, geometric aesthetic appealed to avant garde architects such as Robert Mallet-Stevens and Le Corbusier, who commissioned ironwork from him, and in 1929, invited Prouv to join the new Union des Artistes Modernes, a group of artists and designers championing the Modernist style. In the early 1940s, due to the scarcity of steel during World War II, Prouv began working mostly with wood. Besides creating furniture, he also explored designs for pre-fabricated housing, constructing dwellings for the homeless. But by the 1960s, Prouv's austere style seemed pass, and he fell foul of fashion's whims; as a self-taught designer he was also routinely excluded by the architectural establishment. His reputation may have further suffered from his own appetite for collaboration, which could make his exact role in architectural projects difficult to identify. Happily, this state of affairs changed in the 1990s when Prouv emerged as an unlikely auction star, as his sensibility chimed again with the activities of contemporary neo-Modernists like Jasper Morrison and Konstantin Grcic. This new monograph in Polgrafa's new series on the furniture and objects designed by the twentieth century's most important architects features drawings and photographs of each featured design. Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) is the most prestigious Finnish architect of the last century, and the father of Nordic Modernism. He once said, "God created paper for the purpose of drawing architecture on it. Everything else is at least for me an abuse of paper." In the U.S. Aalto's critical reception began with his design for the Finnish Pavilion at the 1939 World Fair in New Frank Lloyd Wright described it as a "work of genius." After World War II, Aalto also designed MIT's student dormitory. Prior to this, the architect's Paimio Sanatorium (1929) and Viipuri Library (1935), both in Finland, had already attracted international praise. He was also an outstanding town planner, painter and sculptor. Aalto's Modernism entailed the use of natural materials, warm colors, and undulating lines, and he is considered an important early exponent of Organic Design as a result. Of his design work outside of architecture, Aalto's vases, lamps, glassware and laminated bent-plywood furniture (pioneered and produced through the design company he co-founded, Artek) are equally esteemed. Iconic pieces include the Savoy Vase, the Paimio Chair and the Beehive Lamp. This monograph on Aalto's highly collectible furniture designs expands our understanding of the diverse abilities of this influential architect/designer. "German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) is without doubt one of the pioneering masters of Modern architecture: The contemporary cityscape betrays his influence at every turn. Equally significant, though smaller in scale, are his adventures in furniture design. Like any good architect, Mies knew that architecture and furniture inevitably slip into dialogue and affect one another (he brought his knowledge of recent industrial technologies to bear on many of the chairs and tables he produced) and consequently, his earliest designs, beginning in the mid-1920s, were conceived for specific interiors. At first furniture design seemed more daunting than architecture: 'There are endless possibilities and many problems--the chair has to be light, it has to be strong, it has to be comfortable. It is almost easier to build a skyscraper than a chair, ' he once declared. But Mies soon found novel ways to marry traditional luxurious fabrics and leathers with contemporary chrome frames, while effecting a distinct separation between the supporting structure and the supported surfaces. Today his Modern furniture pieces like the Barcelona chair, table, ottoman and day bed and the Bruno chair are acclaimed popular classics."--Publisher's description Acclaimed furniture works from the Bauhaus polymath Mies van der Rohe (18861969) is without doubt one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture. Equally significant, though smaller in scale, are his adventures in furniture design. Like any good architect, Mies knew that architecture and furniture inevitably slip into dialogue and affect one another (he brought his knowledge of recent industrial technologies to bear on many of the chairs and tables he produced) and consequently, his earliest designs, beginning in the mid-1920s, were conceived for specific interiors. At first furniture design seemed more daunting than There are endless possibilities and many problemsthe chair has to be light, it has to be strong, it has to be comfortable. It is almost easier to build a skyscraper than a chair, he once declared. But Mies soon found novel ways to marry traditional luxurious fabrics and leathers with contemporary chrome frames, while effecting a distinct separation between the supporting structure and the supported surfaces. Today his modern furniture pieces such as the Barcelona chair, table, ottoman and day bed and the Bruno chair are acclaimed popular classics. A natural candidate for Poligrafa's Design by Architects series, Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971) was concerned with every detail of the environments he designed, from the basic structure right down to the door handles. When he designed St Catherine's College for Oxford University in 1960, even the height of the cedar trees he planted and the varieties of fish he installed in the ponds were of urgent concern; there was no place, in Jacobsen's thinking, where architecture left off and design took over, and today he is equally famed for his achievements in both domains. In the realm of furniture design, such creations as the Egg, Series 7, Ant and Swan chairs have become icons of Danish design. A sinuous organic line and strong sculptural presence are the foremost qualities of the Jacobsen look. Not one straight line disturbs the soft curves of these creations. This heretical departure from the prevailing hard geometrical paradigm of the time is one of the cornerstones of Arne Jacobsen's furniture and the source of his importance today. Neglected in her lifetime, Eileen Gray (1878-1976) is now regarded as one of the most important furniture designers and architects of the early twentieth century. She first worked as a lacquer artist, then as a furniture designer and finally as an architect. At a time when other leading designers were almost exclusively male and adherents to one movement or another, Gray remained stalwartly independent. Her design style was as distinctive as her way of working; Gray developed an opulent, luxuriant take on the geometric forms and industrially produced materials used by International Style designers such as Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and Mies van der Rohe. Her voluptuous leather and steel Bibendum Chair and chic E-1027 glass and tubular steel table are now familiar icons of modernity. Part of the By Architects series, Eileen Gray highlights the work of this singular designer-architect. This Engaging Series Is Dedicated To Showcasing The Very Best In Furniture And Object Design From Some Of The Most Important Architects Of The Twentieth-century. Each Title Begins With A Brief But Detailed Introductory Essay, Before Moving On To Analyse Through Sketches, Drawings And Photographs Of The Original Productions The Main Designs Of The Featured Architect. Also Included Is A Complete Illustrated Chronology Of Their Works. Lacquer Furniture And Objects -- Furniture For The Lota Apartment -- Satellite Hanging Lamp -- Monte Carlo Bedroom-boudoir -- Furniture For The Jean -- Désert Furniture Showroom -- Aeroplane Hanging Lamp -- Furnishings For E.1027 -- Double X Table -- Studio Apartment For Jean Badovici -- Tubular Floor Lamp -- Furnishings For Tempe á Pailla. Introduction By Carmen Espegel ; Edited By Sandra Dachs ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 123). Introduction Organic design competition First plywood pieces Furniture and toys for children DCW & LCW [Dining, lounge chair wood] DCM & LCM [Dining, lounge chair metal] DTW [Dining table wood] Side table CTW & CTM [Coffee table wood, metal] FSW [Folding screen wall] Case goods Three folding tables Minimal chair La chaise ESU [Eames storage units] LTR & ETR [Low table rod, elliptical table rod base] Plastic seat and chair Metal mesh chair Metal mesh sofa Toys Hang-it-all Sofa compact Lounge chair and ottoman Solar machine Aluminum group Chaise Lobby chair and stools ECS [Eames contract storage] Tandem slim seating Chronology. Introduction Ceiling lights Steel pieces Armchair for Louis Wittmann Reclining armchair Reclining chair Table Furnishings for the Cité Universitaire de Nancy Chair no.4 Bed 17 Desk for one Desk for the ENP in Metz Garden furniture for the pavilion of the U.A.M. Guéridon table Standard desks Kangaroo chairs Tipping chair Cupboard and sideboard Open-worked panel Lecture hall furniture Antony 356 chair Desks for the library In the Maison de la Medecine Chairs 352 and 353 Bergère lecture hall Chair 805 for children Library shelving Stools Stacking table Compass table Chronology. Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971) was concerned with every detail of the environments he designed, from the basic structure right down to the door handles. When he designed St Catherine's College for Oxford University in 1960, even the height of the cedar trees he planted and the varieties of fish he installed in the ponds were of urgent concern; there was no place, in Jacobsen's thinking, where architecture left off and design took over, and today he is equally famed for his achievements in both domains --Publisher description Introduction Folk Senna chair Chair 11/611 Chair 103 Minimal apartment Furnishings for the Paimio Sanatorium Bölgeglick series Stool 60 and chair 65 Tables 70 and 81 Tea trolley 98/901 Shelves 112 Savoy series Furnishings for the Villa Mairea Chair 612, stool Y61 and table Y805 Chair 45 Stool X601 and table X800 Furnishings for the National Pensions Institute Lamps A201 and A110 Lamps A330S Golden Bell and A330 Lamps A331 and A332 Lamp A337 or Flying Saucer lamp Lamp A338 or Blueberry lamp Chronology. Showcasing the best design work from some of the 20th century's finest architects, this series is dedicated to showcasing the very best in furniture and object design from some of the most important architects of the Twentieth-century. It also includes a complete illustrated chronology of their works The Eames are well-known for their contributions to furniture design, especially their revolutionary use of moulded plywood and other modern materials. This book offers a comprehensive study of the pioneers of moulding techniques for furniture Introduction By Félix Solaguren-beascoa ; Edited By Sandra Dachs, Patricia De Muga, And Laura Garcia Hintze. By Architects--cover. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 127).