The Atlas of Furniture Design

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You not only have detailed texts on individual objects, but also essays, glossaries of manufacturers and materials, biographies and of course – something no such encyclopedia should be without – detailed infographics, including various timelines on the development of design worldwide or the evolution of ground-breaking furniture types such as the cantilever chair or the Monobloc. The Atlas of Furniture Design employed a team of more than 70 experts and features over 550 detailed texts about key objects. In 2019, the Vitra Design Museum will publish the Atlas of Furniture Design, the definitive, encyclopedic overview of the history of modern furniture design. Over the past 30 years, the collection of the Vitra Design Museum has been carefully curated and completed to create a comprehensive impression of furniture design of the past two centuries.

The great classics were a must, along with explanations about certain materials, structural forms and typologies. These features make this publication an encyclopedic reference guide and indispensable resource for collectors, scholars, and experts, and without a doubt a book to be treasured by design lovers all over the world. With more than 1,000 pages, the »Atlas« will be the most extensive book ever to be published on the topic.It documents 1,740 objects by over 540 designers, and features more than 2,800 illustrations, from object photographs to design sketches and interiors as well as patents, brochures, art, architecture, and portraits of the designers. The Atlas of Furniture Design is an indispensable resource for collectors, scholars and experts, as well as a beautifully designed object that speaks to design enthusiasts.

The monumental book examines themes ranging from the early days of industrialization to innovations of the digital era, which play an increasingly important role in furniture design today. Atlas of Furniture Design, published by the Vitra Design Museum, provides an in-depth exploration in the history of modern furniture design. 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 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.

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. The Atlas of Furniture Design is the most comprehensive overview of the history of furniture design ever published. Mateo Kries, director of the Vitra Design Museum and co-editor of the publication, explains: »The Atlas paints a portrait of our entire collection while simultaneously providing an unprecedented overview of the history of modern furniture. Featuring over 1700 objects by more than 500 designers and 121 manufacturers, it includes approximately 2800 images ranging from detailed object photographs to historical images documenting interiors, patents, brochures, and related works of art and architecture. That's correct, the primary source for the Atlas of Furniture Design was the collection of the Vitra Design Museum.And when questions arose (regarding a bookshelf that needed clever assembly), their representatives in Finland were so helpful and thoughtful. Mateo Kries, director of the Vitra Design Museum and editor of the book, answers the most important questions. This includes 19th century furniture made out of bentwood and metal, Art Nouveau and Secession style designs, iconic designs by protagonists of modernism such as Le Corbusier, Gerrit Rietveld, Charlotte Perriand, Marcel Breuer, and Eileen Gray, but also post-war, post-modern, and contemporary furniture by designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Gae Aulenti, Finn Juhl, Ettore Sottsass, Philippe Starck, Hella Jongerius, Jasper Morrison, and Konstantin Grcic.

Furthermore, the book includes a comprehensive annex with designer biographies, information graphics, and bibliographies, as well as a manufacturer and materials glossary. The »Atlas« features over 550 detailed texts about key objects as well as in-depth essays that provide sociocultural and design-historical context to four historical epochs and the works themselves. Names such as Ray and Charles Eames, Verner Panton, Marcel Breuer and Le Corbusier all make an appearance, as do movements like Art Nouveau and Classical Modernism. But the »Atlas of Furniture Design« can also be enjoyed by readers who prefer to dispense with complex theories and just want to concentrate on each single object. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions.The book touches on a range of subjects spanning the beginnings of industrialization to digitalization, which is becoming increasingly influential in contemporary furniture design. The key designs are thoroughly analysed across 550 texts, while in-depth essays on four eras, each important to the history of design, describe the cultural and social context of the objects under scrutiny. In-depth essays provide sociocultural and design-historical context to four historical epochs of furniture design and the pieces highlighted here, enriched by a detailed annex containing designer biographies, glossaries, and elaborate information graphics. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. The basis for the Atlas of Furniture Design is the collection held by the Vitra Design Museum, one of the largest of its kind with more than 7000 works.