Welcome to this small grouping of the finest chairs in 20th century design history. All four chairs here were created by architects. It is fascinating that many architects choose to take on the task of designing furniture. While it seems a smaller, more manageable task, it is quite the opposite. As Mies van der Rohe once said, "A chair is difficult, a skyscraper is almost easier."
While it might seem that these objects were mere formal exercises, these are really the true tests of an architect. The challenge might exist in the closeness of the interface and interaction with the human form. It is a smaller, more intimate space that an architect must accommodate.
Additionally, the chairs also serve as smaller parts of an architectural whole. They created furniture that was intended for the spaces they designed. The chair is a piece from a total artwork, and it is also able to stand alone and with its own merits.
The selections here represent a wide range of work from the 20th century: from the Red and Blue Chair of 1917-among the first of the modernist chairs and First Chair of 1983 which has become an icon of post-modernism.
There are so many more to discover.
Please note that the prices listed are for newly manufactured versions of the chairs.
