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Atlas of Furniture Design
At 1,028 pages, featuring 1,740 objects and spanning 237 years, this authoritative volume is without doubt the ultimate book on furniture design
The Atlas of Furniture Design is the most comprehensive overview of the history of furniture design ever published. The book documents 1,740 objects by 546 designers and 565 manufacturers, and features more than 2,500 images, from detailed object photographs to historical documentation such as interiors, patents, brochures and reference works in art and architecture.
The basis for the Atlas of Furniture Design is the furniture collection held by the Vitra Design Museum, one of the largest of its kind in the world, with more than 7,000 works. The collection is made up of pieces from key periods in design history and by the most significant designers and manufacturers of the past 200 years, including early industrial furniture in bentwood or metal, Art Nouveau and Secessionist objects, works by such protagonists of classical modernism as Le Corbusier, Gerrit Rietveld, Charlotte Perriand and Marcel Breuer, postwar figures such as Finn Juhl, Eero Saarinen and Achille Castiglioni, and postmodern and contemporary designers like Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders and Konstantin Grcic, as well as the estates of design legends such as Charles and Ray Eames, Verner Panton, Alexander Girard, George Nelson and others.
Several years in the making, the Atlas of Furniture Design has employed a team of 71 authors and features in-depth essays providing sociocultural and design-historical context to the history of furniture design, as well as 551 detailed texts accompanying key objects. The book is enriched by a detailed annex containing designer biographies, bibliographies, a glossary of manufacturers and an index, along with information graphics offering a complementary visual approach to the history of furniture design. The Atlas of Furniture Design is both an encyclopedic reference tool and an indispensable resource for collectors, scholars and experts, as well as a beautifully designed object that speaks to design enthusiasts around the globe.
The Atlas of Furniture Design is the most comprehensive overview of the history of furniture design ever published. The book documents 1,740 objects by 546 designers and 565 manufacturers, and features more than 2,500 images, from detailed object photographs to historical documentation such as interiors, patents, brochures and reference works in art and architecture.
The basis for the Atlas of Furniture Design is the furniture collection held by the Vitra Design Museum, one of the largest of its kind in the world, with more than 7,000 works. The collection is made up of pieces from key periods in design history and by the most significant designers and manufacturers of the past 200 years, including early industrial furniture in bentwood or metal, Art Nouveau and Secessionist objects, works by such protagonists of classical modernism as Le Corbusier, Gerrit Rietveld, Charlotte Perriand and Marcel Breuer, postwar figures such as Finn Juhl, Eero Saarinen and Achille Castiglioni, and postmodern and contemporary designers like Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders and Konstantin Grcic, as well as the estates of design legends such as Charles and Ray Eames, Verner Panton, Alexander Girard, George Nelson and others.
Several years in the making, the Atlas of Furniture Design has employed a team of 71 authors and features in-depth essays providing sociocultural and design-historical context to the history of furniture design, as well as 551 detailed texts accompanying key objects. The book is enriched by a detailed annex containing designer biographies, bibliographies, a glossary of manufacturers and an index, along with information graphics offering a complementary visual approach to the history of furniture design. The Atlas of Furniture Design is both an encyclopedic reference tool and an indispensable resource for collectors, scholars and experts, as well as a beautifully designed object that speaks to design enthusiasts around the globe.
1028 pages, Hardcover
Published November 21, 2019
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 12, 2023
Well designed book in terms of images, cataloguing and all things technical information.
My only qualm with this book is the design of the physical object. For an atlas of furniture design, the design of the book is basic. Though it can serve as the familiar “coffee table book” for folks to casually flip through, the contents of the book are so detailed that it could be used as a resource for reference and serve as legitimate research material to.
In either case, it would be optimal to have a spine which would encourage the reader to be enveloped by the history that is to be found in this book.
One should not be concerned about worsening the wear & tear of a book simply by reading it. Especially in the case of a reference book, the lifespan could be extended with a superior binding.
I love how much information I can find in this singular book however the accessibility is simply not there. In regards to visibility, I believe that had it been separated into volumes, it would allow for larger font size and images.
My only qualm with this book is the design of the physical object. For an atlas of furniture design, the design of the book is basic. Though it can serve as the familiar “coffee table book” for folks to casually flip through, the contents of the book are so detailed that it could be used as a resource for reference and serve as legitimate research material to.
In either case, it would be optimal to have a spine which would encourage the reader to be enveloped by the history that is to be found in this book.
One should not be concerned about worsening the wear & tear of a book simply by reading it. Especially in the case of a reference book, the lifespan could be extended with a superior binding.
I love how much information I can find in this singular book however the accessibility is simply not there. In regards to visibility, I believe that had it been separated into volumes, it would allow for larger font size and images.
Displaying 1 of 1 review