A magnificent monograph celebrating the one hundredth birthday of legendary Danish furniture designer, Hans J. Wegner. The name Hans J. Wegner is synonymous with his iconic chair designs, which helped to popularise mid-century Danish design on an international scale. With more than 500 creations, Wegner's appreciation for natural materials and traditional building techniques makes his designs both beautiful and timeless.
Presents 110 Danish chairs and charts their success at home and abroad from the mid-20th century until the present day In the mid-20th century design became a cultural phenomenon that placed Denmark on the world map. Danish Design emerged in 1949 as a real brand, when American journalists started to write about Danish furniture in relation to a furniture exhibition by Snedkerlauget in Copenhagen. 'Den runde stol' made by Hans. J. Wegner was given the name 'The Chair'. This was not only the beginning of a great export adventure but also a challenge for the Danish designers, who became world recognized for their obsession with creating the perfect chair. The chair has always been the touchstone of designers and the design historians' favourite object. It touches and reflects the body it carries with arms, legs, seat and back. Besides this point, the chair is one of our most culture-bearing design objects and it tells a story about the period and the society from which it was created. In a very unique way this book shows, not just in words but also with drawings and photos how Danish chairs are built on historical furniture types, which are then refined into the infinite. The message and the explanation for the international success of Danish furniture is this; Danish furniture design is based on foreign culture and the best creations of former times.
A complete survey of the life and work of master designer Bruno Mathsson, whose archetypal Modernist chair is admired worldwide The sensuously undulant lines of Bruno Mathsson's furniture designs made him one of the leading figures of Swedish modernism in the 1930s. Chairs that adapted to their occupant with graceful natural curves became his trademark and have been in continuous production for more than fifty years. In his less familiar architectural work, Mathsson (1907-1988) applied the same principles of innovative comfortable living. Throughout his work the connections between design and ergonomics, aesthetics and innovative materials, energy saving and environmental concerns resonate for designers today. This book surveys Mathsson's output as an architect and designer as well as his relationships with American architects and designers including Frank Lloyd-Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, and Hans Knoll. Extensive illustrations include unpublished photographs of his Mathsson's work in situ.
"Twenty architects explored possible developments for the lot neighboring the Schindler House, a revolutionary architectural landmark located in West Hollywood, California. Their visionary ideas are combined in this book to uniquely demonstrate contemporary avant-garde architecture in an unusual line-up. Responding to the challenge that 'It is the architect's duty to offer resistance', [this book] explores the field of tension surrounding architecture, urbanism, and preservation today. It poses the following questions: Is a landmark such as the Schindler House singular, or is it tied to a complex network of relations and urban situations? Is context important to a landmark's intrinsic meaning? How do we measure the social significance of unparalleled historic works of architecture? To what degree do landmarks rely on their surrounding conditions?"--Back cover.
For students of design, professional product designers, and anyone interested in design equally indispensable: the fully revised and updated edition of the reference work on product design. The book traces the history of product design and its current developments, and presents the most important principles of design theory and methodology, looking in particular at the communicative function of products and highlighting aspects such as corporate and service design, design management, strategic design, interface/interaction design and human design.. From the content: Design and history: The Bauhaus; The Ulm School of Design; The Example of Braun; The Art of Design Design and Globalization Design and Methodology: Epistemological Methods in Design Design and Theory: Aspects of the Disciplinary Design Theory Design and its Context: From Corporate Design to Service Design Product Language and Product Semiotics Architecture and Design Design and Society Design and Technological Progress
The Little Book of Danish Design for Children and Curious Grown-Ups tells fun and interesting stories about 50 Danish design icons. With a light touch and colourful and humorous illustrations, the book takes a fresh look at some of the many great Danish design objects that have been created for the home over the past century. The book presents popular design classics by Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl and Hans J. Wegner as well as the LEGO brick, the Panton chair and a selection of new iconic products by Royal Copenhagen and Bang & Olufsen, among many others.
Discover classic and contemporary Scandinavian style with specially commissioned photography of homes in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Discover classic and contemporary Scandinavian style with specially commissioned photography of homes in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Scandinavia is famous for its distinctive style: homes are pared-back and simple, and form and function are combined to create aesthetically pleasing and practical interiors. Scandinavians are inspired by light, having an abundance of it in summer but so little of it in winter, and house designs tend to maximize the amount of natural light that enters the home, and allow the inhabitants to make the most of outdoor life during the summer. Similarly, nature and the weather are major influences: homes are made warm and cozy for the freezing winter months—not just literally with log burners, but also through incorporating wood and natural materials. Here Niki Brantmark, owner of the interior design blog My Scandinavian Home, presents a wide-ranging collection of these beautiful homes and explores how the Scandinavian lifestyle is reflected in them all. The first chapter, Urban Living, features styles ranging from minimalist to bohemian, and pale palettes to dramatic dark colors. By contrast, the Country Homes tend to have a softer, calmer feel, through color and textiles, in line with a slower pace of life. Finally, the spectacular Rural Retreats include a mountain cabin, beach house, and rustic summer cottage, and demonstrate how having somewhere to escape to is so important to many Scandinavians. This collection of stunning interiors will put Scandi style within every reader’s reach.
