Modern architects and their furniture
Case studies of Alvar and Aino Aalto, Charlotte Perriand and Le Corbusier, Charles and Ray Eames, and their furniture designs
A. Kloosterziel (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
E Korthals Altes – Mentor (TU Delft - History, Form & Aesthetics)
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Abstract
This thesis contains case studies of architect-duo’s Alvar and Aino Aalto, Charlotte Perriand and Le Corbusier, and Charles and Ray Eames, that will be used to find out why they designed furniture as architects. This will give more explanation on why an architect would or should design furniture. The thesis shows that the architects have approached the choice of designing furniture each in a different way. Alvar and Aino Aalto designed furniture as an inseparable part of their architecture, each piece specifically for a project, creating a Gesamtkunstwerk. Le Corbusier worked together with Charlotte Perriand to design furniture to fit his newest modern architecture to also get to a Gesamtkunstwerk. While Le Corbusier remained more focused on architecture throughout the rest of his career, Charlotte Perriand kept designing furniture as well as architecture. For Charles and Ray Eames architecture soon in their careers became secondary to designing furniture. They produced pieces of furniture unrelated to their few architecture projects. However all of them having different thoughts behind designing furniture, they all do share furniture design as an important and career defining interest.