Meet The Designers
Frank Gehry
Considered the most important architect of our age, Frank Gehry set a precedent for modern design in the second half of the 20th century. Most famous for buildings such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Gehry has in fact pursued many design endeavors.
As well as designing jewelry, a yacht, and various household items, Gehry made iconic modern furniture. Inspired by fish and using unconventional materials, Gehry’s seating collection – produced by Vitra and Herman Miller – are evidence of his ongoing influence on modern design.
Harry Bertoia
East Greenville, Pennsylvania
Italian-born Harry Bertoia was a complete and gifted artist. Starting in jewelry-making at Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1937, he moved seamlessly to sculpture and furniture-making. After working with Charles & Ray Eames, Bertoia made his way to Knoll in Pennsylvania. There he created his iconic seating collection, which Knoll produces to this day.
Niels Bendtsen
Born in Denmark, Niels Bendtsen has always been exposed to design and craftsmanship. After emigrating in 1951 to Canada, he began to apprentice under his father, a cabinetmaker who worked under Jacob Kjaer, and continued to build Scandinavian furniture when in Canada.
Starting in 1963, Bendtsen had his own retail store where he sold his father’s designs, as well as other pieces from Scandinavia. Moving around the world while gaining different types of experience in the world of furniture, Bendtsen started his own manufacturing company, Bensen, for which he makes most of the designs, as well as making pieces for brands like Linteloo.
David Adjaye
David Adjaye OBE is recognized as a leading architect of his generation. Adjaye was born in Tanzania to Ghanaian parents and his influences range from contemporary art, music and science to African art forms and the civic life of cities. In 1994 he set up his first office, where his ingenious use of materials and his sculptural ability established him as an architect with an artist’s sensibility and vision.
Based in London and New York, Adjaye’s main focus is on architectural projects, including the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington D.C. His Washington Collection with Knoll in 2013 stands out as one of few ventures into furniture design.
Hans Wegner
Copenhagen, Denmark
Hans Wegner is a world-renowned Danish furniture designer, known especially for his use of wood in creating iconic, simple chair designs. Starting as an apprentice cabinetmaker and later working under esteemed designer Arne Jacobsen, Wegner’s balance of woodwork and beautiful design is incomparable.
Charles & Ray Eames
Los Angeles, California
Shortly after marrying in Michigan, where they worked together, Charles & Ray Eames moved to Los Angeles and started their own office. They not only created some of the most iconic furniture pieces of the 20th century, but dabbled in various art forms, including textile design and filmmaking.
Vitra’s Wiggle Side Chair is a sculptural piece designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry
The Bird Chair is a study in space, form and function by a master sculptor of the last century Harry Bertoia
The famous Shell Chair. Three-legged and beautiful. Designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1963
The Washington Corona Coffee Table reflects David Adjaye’s architectural and sculptural vision
The Homework Desk by Niels Bendtsen is an elegant and highly versatile work desk available in two sizes.
