20 January 2023

CHAIRS BY ARCHITECTS

Many iconic and enticing furniture pieces have been designed by architects. Chairs especially are favoured as the perfect, human-sized expression of an architectural style.

Designing a furniture piece, like a chair, allows an architect to extend his/her design philosophy beyond the threshold of a building into the actual home of its residents.

Vice versa the chair will offer its occupant a tangible, concentrated gem of engineering, with the vast aura of architectonic magnificence.

Needless to say: we love chairs by architects, and have a number of them available in our collection.

Armchair by architect Paul Wintermans
The Netherlands, 1970s

Considered the father of Modern Architecture in the Netherlands, architect H.P. Berlage (1856 –1934) paved the way from Traditionalism to Modernism. He is pioneer of the architectural style known as Amsterdamse School, which aim was to create a ‘total architectonic experience’, characterised by its large, flowing schemes, elaborate masonry, and integrated sculptures.

Armchair by architect H.P. Berlage
The Netherlands, 1910s

Jan Frederik Staal (1879-1940) was an important Dutch architect whose work marks the transition from Amsterdamse School architecture to the movement known as Nieuwe Zakelijkheid. In his early career, he worked together with architect A.J. Kropholler (1881-1973), one of the frontmen of Dutch Traditionalism.

Desk chair by architect J.F. Staal
Made especially for photography shop Ivens & Co on Kalverstraat 115 in Amsterdam.
The Netherlands, 1910s

We have a number of pieces by architect Hendrik Wouda (1885-1946) available, and are always blown away by their sensible, shapely design. Wouda’s work is enticingly straightforward and well-balanced. He is most known for his designs for the firm Pander & Zonen and is regarded as one of the leading figures of the architectural style Nieuwe Haagse School, greatly inspired by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959).

Chair by H. Wouda for Pander & Zonen
The Netherlands, 1920s

Modernist Stool by Architect H. Wouda
The Netherlands, 1920s

Modernist Desk by Architect H. Wouda
The Netherlands, 1920s

Architect Gerard Wijnen (1930-2020) was strongly influenced by the traditionalist architectural movement Bossche School, known for its sereen spatiality and fascinating metric system. The style is based on the vision and ideas of Dom Hans van der Laan (1904-1991), a Dutch Benedictine monk and architect whose work latches ecclesiastical aesthetic to the art of architecture.

‘Goliath’ armchair by architect G. Wijnen
Set of six, The Netherlands, 1970s

Wim van den Bergh (1955) is an architect, writer, and professor of Housing and Design at RWTH Aachen. Designing a chair from one, single piece of material is a common challenge amongst architects. Here, Van den Bergh managed an exquisite example of such a task, designing an arm chair from a single metal tube.

Tubular chair by architect W. van den Bergh
The Netherlands, 1990s