Howe A/S David Rowland GF 40/4 | 1963
Chair production Howe A/S design David Rowland, year 1963. Structure in chromed steel rod, seat and back in black painted metal.
Set of four seventies chairs in excellent vintage condition.
Museo Della Sedia Collection.
| Weight | 45 cm (seat height) |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 77 × 49 × 53 cm (height length depth ) |
David Rowland, born in 1924 in Los Angeles, began his studies in 1940 with Bauhaus master Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, who emigrated to the United States to found the Institute of Design in Chicago. He received a degree in physics from the Principia Collette in Illinois in 1949 and a Masters in Fine Arts from the Cranbrook Academy in 1951, where he met and attended Charles and Ray Eames, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia and Eero Saarinen, with whom was able to exchange views and evaluations. After completing his studies, Rowland deepened his knowledge of industrial design and the related production processes, working in 1952 for Norman Bel Geddes, the first great American industrial designer. In 1943, enlisted among the American military on a mission to Europe during the Second World War, Rowland found himself reflecting on the fact that the seats of the military vehicles on which he traveled were terribly uncomfortable and he swore to himself that if he returned home safe and sound he would have dedicated his experience to their improvement; therefore, when he opened his own design studio in 1954, it was a natural decision to develop seating designs intended for mass use. His goal was to create chairs with exceptional comfort and modern design, making use of the precious American technical know-how. His work and his research culminated in 1963, the year in which he designed the 40/4 chair, celebrated the following year with the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale. Entering production after about a decade of experiments, this immediately garnered a huge consensus from the public. The name comes from the fact that up to 40 chairs can be stacked in a 4 foot space. The ease of use and the sculptural and essential design have contributed to making the 40/4 chair an icon of contemporary design, supported by considerable commercial success. The slender but very sturdy structure in chromed steel rod tends to dematerialize, leaving the seat and back visible, as if they were suspended in the air. In 2005, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of 40/4, a celebratory exhibition was held at the Milan Triennale, where a series of internationally renowned designers paid tribute to David Rowland and his famous seat, reinterpreting their design. The original 40/4 is produced exclusively for the European and Asian market by the Danish company HOWE A/S.
Photographs from a private collection (Museo Della Sedia) of vintage Italian design chairs. © All rights reserved.
Send us information, suggestions or corrections from our contact page.
Howe A/S David Rowland GF 40/4 | 1963
Chair production Howe A/S design David Rowland, year 1963. Structure in chromed steel rod, seat and back in black painted metal.
Set of four seventies chairs in excellent vintage condition.
Museo Della Sedia Collection.
| Weight | 45 cm (seat height) |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 77 × 49 × 53 cm (height length depth ) |
David Rowland, born in 1924 in Los Angeles, began his studies in 1940 with Bauhaus master Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, who emigrated to the United States to found the Institute of Design in Chicago. He received a degree in physics from the Principia Collette in Illinois in 1949 and a Masters in Fine Arts from the Cranbrook Academy in 1951, where he met and attended Charles and Ray Eames, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia and Eero Saarinen, with whom was able to exchange views and evaluations. After completing his studies, Rowland deepened his knowledge of industrial design and the related production processes, working in 1952 for Norman Bel Geddes, the first great American industrial designer. In 1943, enlisted among the American military on a mission to Europe during the Second World War, Rowland found himself reflecting on the fact that the seats of the military vehicles on which he traveled were terribly uncomfortable and he swore to himself that if he returned home safe and sound he would have dedicated his experience to their improvement; therefore, when he opened his own design studio in 1954, it was a natural decision to develop seating designs intended for mass use. His goal was to create chairs with exceptional comfort and modern design, making use of the precious American technical know-how. His work and his research culminated in 1963, the year in which he designed the 40/4 chair, celebrated the following year with the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale. Entering production after about a decade of experiments, this immediately garnered a huge consensus from the public. The name comes from the fact that up to 40 chairs can be stacked in a 4 foot space. The ease of use and the sculptural and essential design have contributed to making the 40/4 chair an icon of contemporary design, supported by considerable commercial success. The slender but very sturdy structure in chromed steel rod tends to dematerialize, leaving the seat and back visible, as if they were suspended in the air. In 2005, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of 40/4, a celebratory exhibition was held at the Milan Triennale, where a series of internationally renowned designers paid tribute to David Rowland and his famous seat, reinterpreting their design. The original 40/4 is produced exclusively for the European and Asian market by the Danish company HOWE A/S.
Photographs from a private collection (Museo Della Sedia) of vintage Italian design chairs. © All rights reserved.
Send us information, suggestions or corrections from our contact page.
