MANILA, Philippines - Who is the French architect and furniture designer who was one of the most influential designers of the early modern movement, introducing innovative aesthetics using manufacture technology and new materials like steel and aluminum?
He was born in Nancy, France, on April 8, 1901 to an artistic family. His father Victor collaborated with the great Art Noveau artists Emile Galle and Louis Majorelle as a ceramicist. He himself was trained as a metal smith before attending engineering school in Nancy, and his intimate knowledge of metal remained the foundation of his work and career.
After opening his own workshop in 1923, he began producing modern metal furniture, which he designed. He also collaborated with some of the best-known modern designers of his time, including Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand. The shelving units of the dormitories at the Cite Internationale Universitaire de Paris designed with Perriard and artist Sonia Delaunay in 1952 are perhaps the best-known examples of his collaborative work.
He regarded himself an engineer and constructor rather than a modern designer. He never designed for the sake of form alone, concentrating instead on the essence of materials, connections, and production.
This resulted in such classic designs as the Standard chair of 1934 and the Antony chair of 1954. Using is innovative method of folding metal sheet, he designed a series of tables that have perceived lightness of bridges and the presence of architecture. His designs speak of a work philosophy that includes knowledge of the materials at hand, a commitment to collaboration between artists and craftsmen, and an attention to evolving technical developments, and “the principle of never postponing decisions so as to never lose the impetus or indulge in unrealistic forecasts.
In 1947, he built the Maxeville Factory where he produced furniture and undertook extensive architectural research on the uses of aluminum. They built industrial buildings from aluminum and sent thousands of aluminum sheds to Africa. He then established a construction firm whose major works were a cafe in Evian, and the Abbey Pierre House. In 1957, he started the Industrial Transport Equipment Company and built the Rotterdam Medical School, the exhibition center in Grenoble, and the Orly Airways Terminal facade.
In the mid 1950s, he began devoting his time to the challenges of prefabricated architecture. His own house, which he designed as a prototype, is now considered a major development in prefab housing.
* * *
Last week’s question: Who is the influential American chef credited withcreating a culinary revolution in the US by founding the original California cuisine restaurant Chez Panisse?
Answer: Alice Waters
Winner: Danny G. Rosil of Maybunga, Pasig City
Design quiz has a new number!
Text your answer to 0905-314-2614 with your name and address. One winner will be chosen through a raffle of texts with the correct answer. The winner will receive P2,000 worth of SM gift certificates for use at Our Home, SM Department Store, or SM Supermarket. They can claim their prize at Our Home in SM Megamall. Call the store manager at 634-1950, 634-1943. Bring photocopies of two valid IDs and a clipping of the Design Quiz issue in which you appear as winner.