CHAIRS

DESIGNED
BY
ARCHITECTS
"God is in details"
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Gesamtkunstwerk
A Gesamtkunstwerk (German: [ɡəˈzamtˌkʊnstvɛʁk], literally 'total
artwork', translated as 'total work of art', 'ideal work of art', 'universal
artwork', 'synthesis of the arts', 'comprehensive artwork', or 'all-
embracing art form') is a work of art that makes use of all or many art
forms or strives to do so.
ALVAR AALTO
PAIMO CHAIR / CHAIR 41

Aalto’s Paimo Chair, or Chair 41, is the result of his sculptural experience and thus uses minimal plywood structure for an
elegantly curved chair designed to help users breathe easier.
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
PEACOCK CHAIR

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Peacock Chair was designed specifically for Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel in 1921. The Peacock Chair features
a hexagonal back and geometric shaping in the negative space of the legs, reflecting the lines of the famous Peacock
Room itself, which featured an angular, pointed roofline.
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
ROBIE 1 CHAIR / FALLINGWATER
OSCAR NIEMEYER
THE ALTA CHAIR

The Alta Chair was originally designed in the 1970s in collaboration with Niemeyer’s daughter, Anna Maria. It was the first
piece of furniture that Niemeyer designed and reflects his use of curves, which are also reflected in his building designs.
DAVID ADJAYE
WASHINGTON SKELETON CHAIR

Designed in 2013, Adjaye’s Washington Skeleton chair comes in a handful of finishes — some even suitable for outdoor use.
Its lattice structure lends a playful yet sophisticated look, perfect for any home.
LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE
BARCELONA CHAIR

The Barcelona Chair was designed by van der Rohe alongside Lilly Reich. The chair was originally made from ivory pigskin,
but was later replaced by traditional leather. The current version, produced by Knoll (which owns the rights to the chair), is
constructed from a polished chrome frame that is ground and buffed by hand to a mirror finish.
MARCEL BREUER
WASSILY CHAIR

Breuer first designed the Wassily chair while at the Bauhaus in 1925. The design has been in continuous production since
then. It was originally inspired by the frame of a bicycle, and is constructed from seamless tubular steel.
FRANK GEHRY
WIGGLE CHAIR
GERRIT RIETVELD
RED AND BLUE CHAIR / THE SCHRODER HOUSE

Gerrit Rietveld’s comparison of chair and building is perhaps the most obvious connection between
the two styles. His work is also one of the best examples of the De Stijl, or “the style” movement which
focused on primary colors and basic forms pushed and pulled in 3D space.
LE CORBUSIER
LE CORBUSIER CHAIR / NOTRE DAME DU HAUT AT RONCHAMP

Charles-Édouard Jeanneret—famously known as Le Corbusier—was one of the fathers of modernism in architecture. His
work focused on a belief of function as the driver for design that should be expressed through beautiful but simple
gestures. This idea is clear in his armchair design which uses minimal intervention to create the seat, but reinforces line
with pronounced structure.
LOUIS KAHN
SPINDLE CHAIR / SALK INSTITUTE

Though this chair may not at first glance seem to relate to the geometric simplicity of Louis Kahn’s famous architecture,
Kahn used spindle chairs extensively throughout his work. This makes sense when considering that his architecture
featured the use of minimal geometry used in dramatic ways, such as the simplicity of the Salk Institute. These designs
were informed by a purity and utility that defined Louis Kahn’s architecture.
OSCAR NIEMEYER
RIO ROCKING CHAIR / NITERÓI CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM

Oscar Niemeyer is another famous Brazilian modernist. He is famous for his profound influence on the city of Brasilia
through projects of federal public buildings and for his use of bold uncompromising form. His Rio Rocking Chair reimagines
basic form and structure in a way that perfectly matches the unusual design approach found in his buildings.
PETER ZUMTHOR
CHAISE LOUNGE / THERME VALS

Peter Zumthor is a minimalist Swiss architect with a mastery of materials. Therme Vals, one of Zumthor’s most famous
projects, includes heavy stone walls to form thermal baths. The entire structure is carved into the landscape and
integrated into the natural world. The interior of Therme Vals creates a healing and spiritual space, one that is present in
Zumthor’s elegantly curved Chaise Lounge.
SANTIAGO CALATRAVA
CALATRAVA CHAIR AND STOOL / THE OCULUS

Santiago Calatrava is well known for his futuristic structures that often take on forms reminiscent of soaring birds. The
Oculus in New York City is a perfect example of these wild gestures. In his chair and stool, Calatrava uses a similar
sculptural identity to craft the base, creating a set that appears to challenge gravity, as achieved in many of his
architectural projects.
TADAO ANDO
DREAM CHAIR / CHURCH OF LIGHT

Tadao Ando’s Church of Light is a perfect example of his architectural style. He typically uses natural forces such as light
and wind to craft spaces while physical elements support them—in this example, the minimal concrete allows for light to
create the symbol of a cross. True to this approach, the Dream Chair is designed as a chair made from the minimal
intervention needed to transform the wood into the correct form for seating. It is also designed to be visually pleasing from
all angles through its gentle curvature.
WALTER GROPIUS
F51 CHAIR / BAUHAUS SCHOOL BUILDING

Famous for his role as the founder of the Bauhaus, Walter Gropius was one of the fathers of modernism and the famed
“International Style.” It is a well-known anecdote that Gropius had no drawing skills, which was more important in the field
of architecture at the time than it is today. He is often referred to as the “ideas man.” The rigid teachings of the
International Style can be noticed both in the famed architecture of the Bauhaus and in the F51 Chair designed by Walter
Gropius.
ZAHA HADID
Z-CHAIR / HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER

The similarities between Z-Chair and Hadid’s other work is clear. Both utilize the parametric logic that earned Zaha Hadid
her global fame. Like much of her other work, the Z-chair abstracts a simple gesture that captures the basic function
needed and develops a unique and elegant form without sacrificing its utility. This may be most similar to the Heydar
Aliyev Center which has become an iconic example of Hadid’s revolutionary parametric architecture.