BEUGELSTOEL, DESIGNED 1927, EXECUTED CIRCA 1930

The Beugelstoel model was designed in 1927 and belongs to one of the few models Dutch architect Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1888-1964) designed making use of tubular steel. Although the first prototype examples were produced with solid steel frames and so-called vulkaanfiber (fibreboard) seats, around 1930 the Amsterdam shop of Metz & Co. manufactured and sold several Beugelstoel models with hollow tubular frames and single planes of plywood wrapped from the top of the back to the front of the seat. The present armchair is one of these Metz produced examples. In the end the cooperation between Rietveld and Metz in the 1930s did not result in a mass production of his furniture, unfortunately for the architect whose goal was to see his designs achieve wide usage.