Exhibition Tubular Steel Furniture Classics Exposé
Transcription
Exhibition Tubular Steel Furniture Classics Exposé
Exhibition Tubular Steel Furniture Classics Exposé Exhibition concept This exhibition documents an important and interesting epoch in modern furniture history: the development of tubular steel furniture and, coupled with that, the invention of the cantilever chair in the 1920s/1930s. Bauhaus teachers and designers who were influenced by the Bauhaus experimented with the new material and realized clear and unadorned designs. Thonet was a partner from the beginning and took over the production and distribution of the models. Many of them are still part of our program today, and all of them are classics of furniture history. The exhibition offers an overview of these products, which are presented as originals. In addition, visitors are given information about the development history, designer biographies and details of each product. The Thonet film is also part of the exhibition and presents video clips of our production facilities and places where Thonet furniture is used. The exhibition is suitable for specialist trade partner showrooms, design centers and galleries. Facts I Floor space requirements: min. 80-100 square meters, can be expanded to 200 square meters. The exhibition design is variable. The exhibits should be presented on pedestals, base plates, or standing on the floor (pedestals and base plates are not included in delivery). The banners can be placed in the space, hung from the ceiling or on walls. Arrangement: The arrangement of the models follows the designers: Mart Stam, Marcel Breuer, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Thonet, and each one has its own information banner. Exhibition duration: ideally 4-6 weeks, a minimum of 6 weeks is needed for planning and preparations (e.g., printing and mailing of invitation cards), plus delivery time and shipping of the exhibits. Facts II Design templates for invitation cards and advertisements as well as press texts and images are provided by Thonet. The partner on site assumes responsibility for the cost of printing, distribution, and advertising. The partner on site also pays for assembly and disassembly and is responsible for the quality of the exhibits. The exhibition is insured. Organization: On-site contact partner and supporter is the appropriate sales employee. Internally, the contact partner is Victoria Rogalla, T. +49 6451-508-165, e-mail [email protected]. Products ModelName B 9 a side table chrome, RAL 3013 B 9 b side table chrome, RAL 3013 B 9 c side table chrome, RAL 3013 B 9 d side table chrome, RAL 3013 Set B 9 a-d side tables nickel-plated, solid walnut oiled B 10/1 side table chrome, RAL 9010 B 22 b shelf chrome, RAL 9010 B 97 a side table and quartetto table chrome, matte black B 97 b side table and quartetto table chrome, matte black B 106 media sideboard chrome, RAL 9010 B 108 console table chrome, RAL 9010 B 109 table chrome, RAL 9005 B 117 table with drawers chrome, body matte black S 32 N cantilever chrome, beech TP 29, black synthetic mesh S 32 PV cantilever chrome, leather black TL 9 S 32 PV cantilever nickel-plated, nappa leather 2617 cognac/yarn 406 dark brown S 32 V cantilever chrome, black lacquered S 64 N cantilever chrome, beech TP 29 S 64 N cantilever nickel-plated, armrests walnut oiled, black synthetic mesh S 64 PV cantilever nickel-plated, nubuck leather 10 black /yarn 968 yellow S 64 V cantilever chrome, beech TP 29 S 33 cantilever chrome, butt leather natural S 33 N cantilever chrome, silver synthetic mesh S 34 N cantilever chrome, silver synthetic mesh S 40 cantilever chrome, Iroko S 40 F cantilever stainless steel, Iroko S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 1016 sulfur yellow S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 3013 tomato red S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 7038 grey S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 2004 orange S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 3020 traffic red S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 3011 brown red S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 6018 yellow green S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 5021 water blue S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 5012 light blue S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 7016 anthracite grey Quantity 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Products ModelName S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 9005 deep black S 43 cantilever chrome, beech RAL 9010 pure white S 43 cantilever chrome, beech TP 29 black S 43 cantilever chrome, beech TP 17 nature S 43 F cantilever chrome, beech TP 107 S 43 K cantilever chrome, beech NCS S0520-G80Y yellow S 43 K cantilever chrome, beech SO510-R rose S 43 K cantilever chrome, beech S0520-R80B light blue S 43 K cantilever chrome, beech RAL 9010 white S 285 desk chrome, ash TP 29 S 411 armchair chrome, leather TL 9 black S 411 H ottoman chrome, leather TL 9 black S 533 R cantilever chrome, wickerwork S 1047 extendable table chrome, beech TP 29, 110 cm round Sales tool Pure Materials Banner Tubular steel furniture classics Banner Thonet - Pioneer of industrial design BannerHistory Banner Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Banner Marcel Breuer Banner Mart Stam Quantity 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Exhibition elements Exhibits/products: Models and versions according to attached table are available. The color varnished S 43 (anniversary edition on the occasion of 90 years Bauhaus) should be presented in total. Ludwig Stahlrohr Möbel Klassiker Mies van der Rohe Marcel Breuer Mart Stam 1886-1969 1902-1981 1899-1986 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, in Aachen (D) geboren, trat mit 22 Jahren in das Architekturbüro von Peter Behrens ein, wo er Walter Gropius und Le Corbusier traf. Bald wurde Mies ein Protagonist des neuartigen Glas- und Skelettbaus. Seit 1925 war er verantwortlich für die künstlerische Leitung des Deutschen Werkbundes. 1927 entstand unter seiner Regie die Weißenhofsiedlung. 1930 wurde er von Walter Gropius zum Direktor des Bauhauses berufen, das er 1933 auf Druck der NSDAP auflösen musste. Danach emigrierte er in die USA. banner_stahlrohr_80x200cm.indd 1 07.09.2009 14:24:50 Uhr banner_stahlrohr_80x200cm.indd 4 Marcel Breuer, geboren in Pécs (HUN). Nach seinem Studium am Bauhaus übernahm er von 1925 bis 1928 die Leitung der Tischlerwerkstatt. In dieser Zeit war er stark vom Konstruktivismus und De Stijl geprägt und entwickelte zahlreiche Möbelentwürfe aus Stahlrohr. Nach einem Aufenthalt in der Schweiz zog er 1935 nach London. 1937 erhielt er eine Professur an der Harvard Universität (USA) und gründete zusammen mit Walter Gropius ein Architekturbüro, später eröffnete er sein eigenes Studio in New York. Geschichte Mart Stam, in Purmerend (NL) geboren, war einer der bedeutendsten Architekten der Moderne und ein Pionier des modernen Möbeldesigns. 1927 leistete er einen aufsehenerregenden Beitrag zur Weißenhof-Siedlung – als Architekt und Gestalter. 1928/29 war er als Gastdozent am Bauhaus tätig. Sein Interesse galt der Städteplanung und dem sozialen Wohnungsbau. So arbeitete er an verschiedenen Orten, u.a. in Russland. Im Alter siedelte er in die Schweiz um. Thonet – Pionier des Industrie-Designs. Mit der Erfindung der Möbel aus gebogenem Holz und ihrer Fertigung im BaukastenPrinzip hat Michael Thonet als erster den Grundstein für die industrielle Möbelproduktion gelegt. Er wurde 1796 in Boppard am Rhein geboren und eröffnete dort 1819 seine eigene Werkstatt. 1842 holte ihn Fürst Metternich nach Wien. Gemeinsam mit seinen Söhnen gründete er 1849 ein Unternehmen, das in kurzer Zeit weltweit erfolgreich war und schnell expandierte. In Fabriken im heutigen Tschechien, Ungarn und Russland wurden über 865.000 Bugholzstühle pro Jahr produziert. 1871 starb Michael Thonet in Wien, das Unternehmen wurde von den Söhnen weiter geführt. In den 1930er Jahren engagierte sich Thonet für Konstruktion und Technik der Möbel aus Stahlrohr und avancierte schnell zum größten Hersteller der Welt. Neben Entwürfen von Architekten wurden zahlreiche werkseigene Modelle produziert. Der Zweite Weltkrieg brachte eine harte Zäsur: die Werke in den Ostgebieten wurden enteignet. Die Fabrik in Frankenberg (Deutschland), 1889 gegründet, ist seitdem Firmensitz und Produktionsstandort. Die Entwicklung der Stahlrohrmöbel in den 1920/30er Jahren gilt als Meilenstein in der Geschichte des modernen Möbels. Ihre klare Form passte hervorragend zu der sachlichen Architektur und verkörperte einen ganz neuen Einrichtungsstil. Transparenz und Funktionalität kennzeichnen alle Entwürfe dieser Zeit. Die bedeutendste ”Erfindung” war die des Freischwingers, der als eine der wichtigsten Design-Innovationen des 20. Jahrhunderts gilt. Erst das neue Material, kalt gebogenes Stahlrohr, machte den Effekt des freien Schwingens und damit den hohen Komfort möglich. Thonet hatte sich bereits früh für die neue Technologie interessiert und entwickelte sich in den 1930er Jahren zum größten Produzenten von Stahlrohrmöbeln. Thonet ist nach wie vor in Familienbesitz, heute ist die 5. Generation verantwortlich für das Unternehmen. Gefertigt werden Klassiker aus Bugholz und Stahlrohr sowie neue Modelle, die gemeinsam mit bekannten Architekten und Designern wie Delphin Design, Stefan Diez, Norman Forster, Naoto Fukasawa, James Irvine, Lepper Schmidt Sommerlade, Glen Oliver Löw u.a. entstehen. Thonet hat ein weltweites Vertriebsnetz. Die Werkbund-Ausstellung ”Die Wohnung” in der WeißenhofSiedlung in Stuttgart 1927 demonstrierte Lösungen für das Neue Wohnen. Hier wurden der Öffentlichkeit erstmals Stahlrohrmöbel präsentiert. Bei der Vorbereitung zeigte der junge Mart Stam seine Idee des hinterbeinlosen Stuhls Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Mart Stams erster Entwurf verzichtete auf die Hinterbeine, federte aber noch nicht. Mies van der Rohe setzte die Idee bei seinem Sessel S 533 um, 1929 präsentierte Breuer seinen Stuhl S 32. Mart Stam wurde später das Künstlerische Urheberrecht für die kubische Form des Freischwingers zugesprochen. Diese Rechte liegen bei Thonet. Bauhaus-Lehrer und vom Bauhaus beeinflusste Gestalter waren maßgeblich an der Entwicklung der Stahlrohrmöbel beteiligt, darunter Mart Stam, Marcel Breuer und Ludwig Mies van der Rohe sowie Architekten wie Le Corbusier oder Hans und Wassili Luckhardt. Der Einsatz von Stahlrohr stand im Zusammenhang mit dem Willen zu einem Aufbruch in die Moderne, der sich auch in einem verstärkten Interesse an industriellen Prozessen und Materialien und im Konzept des Neuen Bauens manifestierte. www.thonet.eu 07.09.2009 14:24:58 Uhr banner_stahlrohr_80x200cm.indd 5 07.09.2009 14:25:04 Uhr banner_stahlrohr_80x200cm.indd 6 07.09.2009 14:25:20 Uhr banner_stahlrohr_80x200cm.indd 2 07.09.2009 14:24:53 Uhr banner_stahlrohr_80x200cm.indd 3 Banner: 6 motifs on textile print with mounting mechanism are available. Format 200 x 80 cm; they can be hung from the ceiling freely in the space or on the walls. Thonet film: Please visit the following link for downloading the Thonet film: http://mediendatenbank.thonet.de 07.09.2009 14:24:56 Uhr RAUM FÜR HÄNDLEREINDRUCK Communication tools Stahlrohr Möbel Klassiker AU SSTELLU N G Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Mart Stam Marcel Breuer Die Ausstellung zeigt die A US S T E L L UNG Stahlrohr Möbel Klassiker Ikonen der Stahlrohrmöbel aus den 1920/30er Jahren Mart Stam Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Marcel Breuer und informiert über die Geschichte ihrer Entstehung. Die Entwicklung der Stahlrohrmöbel gilt als Meilenstein in der Geschichte des modernen Möbels. Die bedeutendste Erfindung war die des Freischwingers, der als eine der wichtigsten Design-Innovationen des 20. Jahrhunderts gilt. Bauhaus-Lehrer und von Bauhaus beeinflusste Gestalter waren maßgeblich an der Entwicklung beteiligt. Thonet produziert die Entwürfe seit ihrer Entstehung, sie alle zählen zu den Klassikern der Möbelgeschichte. RAUM FÜR HÄNDLEREINDRUCK r ck alte Eindru tzh Pla eten Einladung r ein stalt r. t nu lbstge partne s is Die den se andels Wir präsentieren die Ausstellung vom 13. August bis zum 3. September 2009 in unserem für Fachh Showroom. der Zur Eröffnung am 12. August um 19 Uhr laden wir Sie herzlich ein. Peter Thonet wird mit dabei sein. Wir freuen uns auf Ihren Besuch! MODUS Möbel Zur Anmeldung nutzen Sie bitte das Faxformular oder senden Sie ein Email an [email protected] Invitation card: 4-page folding card in DIN long format (210 x 105 mm). Individual invitation cards and possibly fax response letters can be printed on separate sheets and supplemented into the card. Templates available for download at www.thonet.eu/service. Stahlrohr Möbel Klassiker Die Ausstellung zeigt die Ikonen der Stahlrohrmöbel aus den 1920/30er Jahren und informiert über die Geschichte ihrer Entstehung. RAUM FÜR HÄNDLEREINDRUCK Advertisements: B/W and 4-color templates in formats 2- and 3-column (90 and 135 mm wide). Exhibition data and partner name are added in the empty field. Template available for download at www.thonet.eu/service. Press materials: Text see attachment, note about the on-site partner can be added in the last paragraph. Information/Training documents All texts also available for download at www.thonet.eu/service. History Thonet history The development of tubular steel furniture during the 1920s/1930s is considered a milestone in the history of modern furniture. Its clear form excellently matched the objective architecture and embodied an entirely new interior design style. Transparency and functionality characterize all designs from this era. The most important „invention“ was the cantilever chair, which is considered one of the most essential design innovations of the 20th century. The new material – cold-bent tubular steel – enabled the springy effect and thus provided high comfort. Thonet was interested in the new technology early on and became the biggest producer of tubular steel furniture during the 1930s. Thonet – A pioneer of industrial design. With the invention of bentwood furniture and its production following the modular principle, Michael Thonet laid the cornerstone for industrial furniture production. He was born in 1796 in Boppard on the River Rhine and opened his own workshop there in 1819. In 1842 Duke Metternich called him to Vienna. Together with his sons, he established a company in 1849 that was globally successful within a short period of time and quickly expanded. More than 865,000 bentwood chairs per year were produced in factories located in today‘s Czech Republic, Hungary, and Russia. Michael Thonet died in 1871 in Vienna; his sons continued to run the company. During the 1930s Thonet committed itself to the construction of tubular steel furniture and quickly became the world‘s largest manufacturer. In addition to designs by architects, numerous in-house models were produced. World War II triggered a sharp halt to production; the facilities in the eastern regions were dispossessed. The factory in Frankenberg (Germany), established in 1889, has been the head office and production site since then. Thonet continues to be family-owned; today, the fifth generation of Thonets is responsible for the company. Bentwood and tubular steel classics are produced, as are new models developed in cooperation with famous architects and designers such as Claudio Bellini, Delphin Design, Stefan Diez, Naoto Fukasawa, Hadi Teherani, James Irvine, Lepper Schmidt Sommerlade, Glen Oliver Löw, and others. Thonet has a global distribution network. Bauhaus teachers and designers influenced by the Bauhaus played a decisive role in the development of tubular steel furniture, among them Mart Stam, Marcel Breuer, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as well as architects such as Le Corbusier and Hans and Wassili Luckhardt. The use of tubular steel was connected with the will to move towards modernism, which also became manifest in an increased interest in industrial processes and materials and the concept of the New Building. The Werkbund exhibition „The Dwelling“ at the Weissenhof Siedlung in Stuttgart 1927 demonstrated solutions for the new way of living. Here, tubular steel furniture was presented to the public for the first time. During the preparations, a young Mart Stam showed his idea of the chair without rear legs to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Stam‘s first design dispensed with the rear legs but did not yet rock. Mies van der Rohe realized the idea in his armchair S 533, and Breuer presented his chair S 32 in 1929. Mart Stam later was awarded the artistic copyright for the cubic form of the cantilever chair. Today, Thonet owns these rights. Mart Stam, born in 1899 in Purmerend in the Netherlands, was one of the most important architects of modernism and a pioneer of modern furniture design. In 1927 he made a sensational contribution to the Weißenhof-Siedlung in Stuttgart as an architect and as designer experimenting with tubular steel. In 1928 and 1929 he worked as an architect in Frankfurt/Main and a guest lecturer at the Bauhaus Dessau, where he gave lectures about elementary architecture and urbanism. From 1930 until 1934 Mart Stam worked in Russia and other countries; afterwards, he worked as an architect in Amsterdam until 1948. In 1939 he took over the direction of the Academy of Arts & Crafts in Amsterdam. In 1950 he became director of the University of Applied Art in BerlinWeißensee. In 1953 he returned to Amsterdam. In 1977 he moved to Switzerland, where he died in 1896 in Goldbach. Chair S 33 / S 34 (1926) Starting in 1925, Mart Stam began experimenting with standard gas pipe, which he connected using standard pipe joint fittings; from this he developed the principle of the cantilever chair, a chair that for the first time in furniture history no longer required four legs. He created a construction principle, which – in connection with the formally reserved design demanded by the Bauhaus and modern architectural theory – became an important building block in the history of modern furniture design. In the beginning, Stam did not care about the springy effect of the cold-bent tubular steel but about the no-frills form, which could be perfectly integrated in the modern buildings of the era. The chairs S 33 (without armrests) and S 34 (with armrests) were the first cantilever chairs. They were used in 1927 in the Weißenhof-Siedlung in Stuttgart. Thonet has been producing them since that time. Chair S 43 (1931) For all of his designs from this era, Mart Stam banked on straightforward forms, aesthetic economy of design, and sitting comfort that would enhance use. In the case of the chair S 43, he combined the tubular steel frame with molded plywood shells for seat and backrest. The comfortable springy effect made upholstery unnecessary. Its clear, reserved form makes this cantilever chair an exemplary design in the spirit of modernism. The technological innovation of cold-bent tubular steel inspired other designers to come up with further developments. A long dispute over patents and copyrights ensued. Mart Stam was awarded the artistic copyright for his strictly cubic chair without rear legs. Today, Thonet owns these rights. Special edition at the occasion of 90 years of Bauhaus To commemorate the 90th Bauhaus anniversary, Thonet is producing this classic in a variety of colors. Chair S 40 (1935) These chairs were presented for the first time in the Thonet catalog from 1935 under the model name B 33 g (= garden), also as a stackable version. In their construction and design, they are based on the chair S 43. Today, they are produced in a weather-resistant version with a stainless steel frame and slats made of solid Iroko wood. Marcel Breuer, was born in 1902 in Pécs, Hungary. After giving up his study of art, he studied at the Staatliches Bauhaus Weimar from 1920 until 1924. From 1925 until 1928 he took over the management of the joiner’s workshop at the Bauhaus, which meanwhile had moved to Dessau. During this time he was strongly influenced by constructivism and De Stijl and developed some trend-setting tubular steel furniture designs. In 1928 Breuer moved to Berlin, where he worked in the interior design segment. Starting in 1931 he went on a number of journeys before beginning work on several aluminium furniture designs in Switzerland starting in 1932. In 1935 Marcel Breuer moved to London, where he worked as an architect. In 1937 he received a professorship in architecture at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts/USA and later opened an architectural office there with Walter Gropius. In 1946 Marcel Breuer established his own studio in New York and realized numerous designs in Europe and the USA. He is considered one of the most important architects and designers of modernism. Marcel Breuer died in 1981 in New York. Chairs S 32/S 64 (1929/30) These designs are probably the most famous and most often produced tubular steel classics. Their most important feature is the matured constructive form and ingenious aesthetic combination of tubular steel, wood, and wicker. The design goes back to1928-1931, Breuer’s highly productive years during which, after leaving the Bauhaus, he worked independently as an architect and interior designer and realized a series of fantastic interiors and designed numerous pieces of furniture. Desk S 285 (1935) The tubular steel desk is a successful example of the programmatic goal of the Bauhaus to combine art and technology in a formal unity. The tabletop and storage elements made of painted or stained wood harmonically blend in with the tubular steel design. The supporting frame is a line in which the wooden elements seem to float. The simple piece of furniture, formally balanced in its proportions, represents an expressive piece of contemporary history known as “The New Objectivity.” Side tables B 9 and other side furniture (1925/26) During his time at the Bauhaus, Marcel Breuer experimented with steel and tubular steel by logically transferring the principles of making furniture in a way appropriate for the materials from wood to this new material. The proximity to the Junkers factory in Dessau was of enormous benefit for facilitating this process. Among his first designs are the side tables B 9 as well as shelves and side furniture. The 1930/31 Thonet catalog included the complete program range. B 9 was used in the cafeteria of Walter Gropius’ Bauhaus building. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, born in 1886 in Aachen, joined the architectural office of Peter Behrens at the age of 22, where he met Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier. Soon, Mies van der Rohe became a protagonist of the era’s innovative glass and steel skeleton architecture – his design of a steel and glass high-rise building at the Bahnhof Friedrichstraße in Berlin was pivotal. Starting 1925, he was the art director of the Deutscher Werkbund. In 1927, under his direction, the Weißenhof-Siedlung in Stuttgart was constructed. In 1930, Mies van der Rohe was appointed director of the Bauhaus in Dessau, which he had to close on August 10, 1933 under the pressure of the NSDAP. After that, he immigrated to the United States. In 1938, he moved to Chicago, where he became director of the architecture department at Armour Institute. He became one of the most influential architects in the world. His steel skeleton buildings with large-scale plate glass windows such as the Seagram Building in New York (1958) and the National Gallery in Berlin (1968) are among the highlights of modern architecture. His furniture designs were often connected to his buildings. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe died in Chicago in 1969. Stuhl S 533 (1927) The deliberate restriction of materials, the elegance of the lines and the transparency of the effect are the characteristic features of S 533. It owes its special comfort to the durable, flexible rocking ability. This effect is the result of Mies van der Rohe’s designing the front part of the tubular steel frame as a large arch made of tubular steel. During the preparations for the Weißenhof-Siedlung, Mart Stam presented his idea of the cantilever chair to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Stam was primarily concerned with the reduced cubic form, and his first design did not rock. Mies van der Rohe used the technology of cold-bent tubular steel with its flexible properties and developed his elegant design. Both Stam’s model and Mies van der Rohe’s model were presented in 1927 in the Weißenhof-Siedlung. Thonet. With the invention of bentwood furniture and its production in a modular principle, Michael Thonet laid the cornerstone for industrial furniture production. He was born in 1796 in Boppard on the River Rhine and opened his own workshop there in 1819. In 1842 Duke Metternich called him to Vienna. Together with his sons, he established a company in 1849 that was globally successful within a short period of time and quickly expanded. More than 865,000 bentwood chairs per year were produced in factories located in today’s Czech Republic, Hungary, and Russia. Michael Thonet died in 1871 in Vienna; his son continued to run the company. During the 1930s Thonet committed itself to the construction of tubular steel furniture and quickly became the world’s largest manufacturer. In addition to designs by architects, numerous in-house models were produced. From the time of their creation to the present, Thonet has been producing a comprehensive tubular steel furniture program range, all of which are classics of furniture history. Chair S 411 (1932) The outstanding properties of this chair are elegance, timelessness, and a high level of sitting comfort. Added is a lightness that only a cantilever model can have. While the first tubular steel chairs rarely had upholstered cushions, an entire series of voluminously upholstered chairs and sofas was already included in the 1935 catalog. The internal Thonet design of S 411 probably marks the beginning of a new product series. Today, the cushions are available with leather, fabric, or cowhide upholstery. Side furniture (1930/31 – 1934) Since the development of tubular steel furniture, side furniture has formed an enormous part of the program. In addition to the first designs by Marcel Breuer, Thonet has realized many in-house designs. For example, the sophisticated folding table B 109, which can be easily turned into a console (1930/31), the console B 108 with storage shelves (1930/31), the set tables B 97 with an open side that can be pushed over the edge of a bed or sofa (1933), and B 117, a simple side table with a drawer (1934). Press release Exhibition Thonet tubular steel furniture classics in XXX: How the Bauhaus revolutionized furniture as well. In cooperation with XXX (address, period) This exhibition presents an important and interesting epoch in the history of modern furniture: the development of tubular steel furniture and, coupled with that, the invention of the cantilever chair during the 1920s/1930s. The legendary tubular steel furniture of the Bauhaus teachers, which Thonet has been producing ever since, is on display. Among them are classics by Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Since the Bauhaus anniversary in 2009, the tubular steel cantilever chair S 43 by Mart Stam is being produced with new, fresh colors. The development of tubular steel furniture is considered a milestone in the history of modern furniture. The most important „invention“ of those years was the cantilever chair, which is considered one of the most important design innovations of the 20th century. Only the new material – cold-bent tubular steel – enabled the springy effect and thus the high level of comfort. Bauhaus teachers and designers influenced by the Bauhaus played a decisive role in the development, among them Mart Stam, Marcel Breuer, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, as well as architects such as Le Corbusier and Hans and Wassili Luckhardt. The use of tubular steel was connected with the will for departure into modernism. Thonet had already adopted the entirely new production technology at the end of the 1920s. During the 1930s, Thonet was the biggest manufacturer of tubular steel furniture worldwide. Since the foundation of the company in 1819, Thonet has stood for the development of furniture that banks on simplicity, a reduction of form to the essentials, a loyalty to materials and value. Today, the fifth generation of Thonets, the brothers Peter and Philipp Thonet manage the internationally renowned company from the corporate offices and production site in Frankenberg/Eder. In addition to the tubular steel classics, XXX also presents other current Thonet models and combines them with new products by various young designers and other manufacturers. This exhibition is an exciting collage of tubular steel classics and current products. (Abbildungen: Freisteller S 43, S 32, S 533, S 411 + S 43 Freisteller in Farben + Portraits) Thonet GmbH, Michael-Thonet-Straße 1, 35066 Frankenberg/Eder, Phone +49 6451/508-119, [email protected], www.thonet.eu