crate-chair-1934-4
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld: furniture maker, designer and architect. He was born on 24 June 1888 and died on 26 June 1964. Despite his several dozens pieces of furniture, buildings and other designs, Rietveld is usually associated with one chair from 1918 and one house from 1924; his famous Red-Blue chair and the Rietveld-Schröder house. But Rietveld left behind an oeuvre which is even more comprehensive: no fewer than 215 furniture designs such as chairs, cabinets and tables, 232 designs for buildings and 240 other designs. Sometimes it concerns tangible furniture, single copies or prototypes, while only sketches or drafts are available for other models.
Crate chair (1934) - His ideology that beauty should be accessible and obtainable for everyone and that simplicity is the hallmark of true design, was practised by Gerrit Rietveld in the thirties when designing his Crate furniture. At the time many products were packaged in crates in order to be shipped safely; after use crates were usually discarded. Rietveld thought this was a shame as quality base materials were used. In the thirties Europe was in the midst of a deep economic crisis; a time in which nothing was discarded. In 1934 Gerrit Rietveld made his first chair constructed of ‘crate wood’. Later in this ‘line’ other chairs, benches, tables and wardrobes followed. Partially because of the choice of base material everybody should be able to afford crate furniture, was Rietveld’s thought. Replica made by Arne Dürr
crate-chair-1934-4
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld: furniture maker, designer and architect. He was born on 24 June 1888 and died on 26 June 1964. Despite his several dozens pieces of furniture, buildings and other designs, Rietveld is usually associated with one chair from 1918 and one house from 1924; his famous Red-Blue chair and the Rietveld-Schröder house. But Rietveld left behind an oeuvre which is even more comprehensive: no fewer than 215 furniture designs such as chairs, cabinets and tables, 232 designs for buildings and 240 other designs. Sometimes it concerns tangible furniture, single copies or prototypes, while only sketches or drafts are available for other models.
Crate chair (1934) - His ideology that beauty should be accessible and obtainable for everyone and that simplicity is the hallmark of true design, was practised by Gerrit Rietveld in the thirties when designing his Crate furniture. At the time many products were packaged in crates in order to be shipped safely; after use crates were usually discarded. Rietveld thought this was a shame as quality base materials were used. In the thirties Europe was in the midst of a deep economic crisis; a time in which nothing was discarded. In 1934 Gerrit Rietveld made his first chair constructed of ‘crate wood’. Later in this ‘line’ other chairs, benches, tables and wardrobes followed. Partially because of the choice of base material everybody should be able to afford crate furniture, was Rietveld’s thought. Replica made by Arne Dürr