Modern Furniture Exhibit — May, 2007 - - An Exhibit in Temple Hoyne Buell Hall Gallery
Alexander Collection
The Alexander Collection was accumulated and donated by Professor Harold Alexander. He donated the pieces to the University of Illinois School of Architecture as a teaching tool about the history of design manufacturing techniques. Beginning with the work of Thonet, the collection tracks the progression of mass-produced furniture. Restoration will bring these pieces to the prominence they deserve and will hopefully earn them a permanent location where they can be appreciated by students.
Recent Acquisitions
Traditionally when buildings have been built on campus, high design furniture has been purchased at the same time. The buildings built in the 1950s and 1960s were furnished primarily with Herman Miller and Knoll International. Some of the spaces shown in the photographs have been re-furnished, while new buildings built on campus recently have been furnished with modern classics. No matter how contemporary a building is, the architect might still choose Barcelona Chairs for the lobby even though they were designed nearly 80 years ago. The recently completed NCSA building contains chairs by Le Corbusier and the George Nelson Coconut Chairs, one of which is present here. As long as the University continues to purchase these modern classics, students are ensured that they will be surrounded by good design.
Stacking Chairs
Stacking chairs are a staple of educational institutions. There are numerous designs for stacking chairs that are popular among architects. Several of these are present on the University of Illinois campus and are represented here. The Panton and Tapiovaara chairs are less prevalent in institutional settings, while the Eames, Lange, and Rowland chairs are present in great quantities in campus buildings.
Architecture
These historic photographs show campus buildings as they were originally furnished. Pictured are the Assembly Hall, Education Building, Art and Design Link Gallery and Krannert Art Museum. The architects of these buildings specified modern designer furniture to compliment the public spaces. Many of these pieces have been lost or removed, but if you visit, you will still find remnants of the original furnishings. Some of these original furnishings can be seen here in the exhibit.
Neo-Traditional Designs
Like the American Georgian architecture introduced to the University of Illinois campus by architect Charles Platt, the furniture of many modern designers looked to past forms for inspiration. Danish architect and designer Hans Wegner built his career around designing well-crafted wood furniture that at once is both modern and historic. The clean lines of the Peacock Chair (1947) are representative of the Danish Modern aesthetic, immensely popular in the 1950s and 60s. At the same time, the arced back, spindles, and woven seat are reminiscent of a Windsor chair. Similarly, the Round Chair (1950) was so reduced to its basic functional elements that it has become known simply as “the chair.” Like the Peacock, in form it has the simple appearance of a traditional chair but the clean lines synonymous with Danish design.
Designers