Lot Essay
This chair derives its name "Mondial" from the World Exposition in Brussels in 1958 for which it was specially designed.
Gerrit Rietveld was very much involved with the preparations of the World Exposition. Not only as an architect but also as a designer. He was one of the engineering architects of the Dutch Pavilion which had been designed by J.W.C. Boks; Together with Jan Bons he designed the Textile Department; Pieces of furniture, some of which he specially designed for the exposition, were exposed in various places such as in the specimen apartment. For this space he designed, in close collaboration with his son Wim, an aluminium linking stacking-chair with a white and seat, back and arms. He wanted this chair to be produced by Gispen.
A photograph from the exposition catalogue shows us chairs with a light-coloured shell, however, without arms.
Rietveld's cooperation with his son Wim goes back to 1942 when Rietveld designed the famous "Aluminium Chair". A chair composed of a single sheet of aluminium. Wim, an industrial designer, advised on the technical aspects of the design and even designed special tools to make the large holes and to bent the edges of the very thin material.
Also with the Mondial chair, it was Wim, now employed at Gispen, who was responsible for the technical side of the design such as the construction and the production technique. The design was taken into production by Gispen as a chair (No. 117) and as an armchair (N. 217). However, very much against Wim's will as Gispen produced the chair not like the prototypes with aluminium seat and back but with seat and back made of polyester. Although this decision may have been comprehenisble in terms of the vulnerability of the material aluminium, the slenderness and transparency of the design did not match those of the original design. Gispen's decision was the reason why Wim left the firm.
The frame of the chair offered for sale here consisits of four V-shaped parts, formed of steel-plate, two for the legs and two for supporting the seat-shell. These four parts are welded to a single tube. The seat is made of a single sheet of folded aluminium which is applied to the frame by twelve nails. The arms are applied with wooden armrests.
This prototype has been with Wim Rietveld ever since he left Gispen while the prototype without arms is in the Collection of industrial designer Jan Jacobs.
The Mondial chair was awarded a price at the Triënale in Milan in 1958.
cf. Barbara Laan, André Koch, Collectie Gispen meubels, lampen en archivalia in het NAi 1916-1980, Rotterdam, 1997, pp. 125-126: explanation; illustration of a sketch for the World Exposition with armchairs in situ and a photograph of the exposition space with chairs without arms in situ; illustration of the prototype aluminium chair without arms and p. 62 for an illustration of the polyester version
Ed van Hinte, Wim Rietveld Industrieel Ontwerper, Rotterdam, 1996, pp. 26, 63-66: explanation; (illustrated) and the chair without arms
Peter Vöge, The Complete Rietveld Furniture, Rotterdam, 1993, pp. 158 & 159, no. 344 (illustrated)
Marijke Kper, Ida van Zijl, Gerrit Th. Rieveld 1888-1964 Het volledige werk, Centraal Museum Utrecht, 1992, p. 285, no.532 and pp. 291-292, no. 544
Peter Vöge, Bab Westerveld, Stoelen Nederlandse ontwerpen 1945-1985, Amsterdam, 1986, pp. 102-103, no. 101, polyester version illustrated
Items, 16/1985, Openbaar Kunstbezit, Goed van Vorm, Solide en Goedkoop, pp. 10-17; explanation; illustration of chair without arms Haro Plantenga, G.Th. Rieveld, Stedelijk Museum Museum, Amsterdam, 198, p. 28, no. 98,99, polyester version illustrated
Daniele Baroni, The Furniture of Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, New York, 1978, p. 159, no. 66
Gerrit Rietveld was very much involved with the preparations of the World Exposition. Not only as an architect but also as a designer. He was one of the engineering architects of the Dutch Pavilion which had been designed by J.W.C. Boks; Together with Jan Bons he designed the Textile Department; Pieces of furniture, some of which he specially designed for the exposition, were exposed in various places such as in the specimen apartment. For this space he designed, in close collaboration with his son Wim, an aluminium linking stacking-chair with a white and seat, back and arms. He wanted this chair to be produced by Gispen.
A photograph from the exposition catalogue shows us chairs with a light-coloured shell, however, without arms.
Rietveld's cooperation with his son Wim goes back to 1942 when Rietveld designed the famous "Aluminium Chair". A chair composed of a single sheet of aluminium. Wim, an industrial designer, advised on the technical aspects of the design and even designed special tools to make the large holes and to bent the edges of the very thin material.
Also with the Mondial chair, it was Wim, now employed at Gispen, who was responsible for the technical side of the design such as the construction and the production technique. The design was taken into production by Gispen as a chair (No. 117) and as an armchair (N. 217). However, very much against Wim's will as Gispen produced the chair not like the prototypes with aluminium seat and back but with seat and back made of polyester. Although this decision may have been comprehenisble in terms of the vulnerability of the material aluminium, the slenderness and transparency of the design did not match those of the original design. Gispen's decision was the reason why Wim left the firm.
The frame of the chair offered for sale here consisits of four V-shaped parts, formed of steel-plate, two for the legs and two for supporting the seat-shell. These four parts are welded to a single tube. The seat is made of a single sheet of folded aluminium which is applied to the frame by twelve nails. The arms are applied with wooden armrests.
This prototype has been with Wim Rietveld ever since he left Gispen while the prototype without arms is in the Collection of industrial designer Jan Jacobs.
The Mondial chair was awarded a price at the Triënale in Milan in 1958.
cf. Barbara Laan, André Koch, Collectie Gispen meubels, lampen en archivalia in het NAi 1916-1980, Rotterdam, 1997, pp. 125-126: explanation; illustration of a sketch for the World Exposition with armchairs in situ and a photograph of the exposition space with chairs without arms in situ; illustration of the prototype aluminium chair without arms and p. 62 for an illustration of the polyester version
Ed van Hinte, Wim Rietveld Industrieel Ontwerper, Rotterdam, 1996, pp. 26, 63-66: explanation; (illustrated) and the chair without arms
Peter Vöge, The Complete Rietveld Furniture, Rotterdam, 1993, pp. 158 & 159, no. 344 (illustrated)
Marijke Kper, Ida van Zijl, Gerrit Th. Rieveld 1888-1964 Het volledige werk, Centraal Museum Utrecht, 1992, p. 285, no.532 and pp. 291-292, no. 544
Peter Vöge, Bab Westerveld, Stoelen Nederlandse ontwerpen 1945-1985, Amsterdam, 1986, pp. 102-103, no. 101, polyester version illustrated
Items, 16/1985, Openbaar Kunstbezit, Goed van Vorm, Solide en Goedkoop, pp. 10-17; explanation; illustration of chair without arms Haro Plantenga, G.Th. Rieveld, Stedelijk Museum Museum, Amsterdam, 198, p. 28, no. 98,99, polyester version illustrated
Daniele Baroni, The Furniture of Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, New York, 1978, p. 159, no. 66